


Hold On To You

by Just Another Wise Girl (FelicityReece)



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Annabeth Chase - Freeform, Battle of the Bands, Canon Gay Relationship, Flirting, Jason Grace - Freeform, M/M, Male Homosexuality, Minor Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Minor Jason Grace/Piper McLean, Music, Musicians, Nerd!Will, Nico di Angelo - Freeform, Opposites Attract, Punk Nico, Punk!Nico, Romance, Secret Crush, Thalia Grace - Freeform, Will Solace - Freeform, Will-centric, jasper - Freeform, percabeth, percy jackson - Freeform, piper mclean - Freeform, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-26
Updated: 2017-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-06 05:34:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 37,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4209867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FelicityReece/pseuds/Just%20Another%20Wise%20Girl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were too different. Complete opposites really. But Will still had hope. Hope that someday, he'd have enough courage to finally speak to the gorgeous punk boy. He just didn't know that day would come in the form of the boys locker room and a dozen half naked males. </p><p>OR </p><p>Will might have a slight (major) crush on a broody Italian boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Act I: Scene I

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ghostystarr](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ghostystarr/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick. 
> 
> Warning: Foul language and half naked boys were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_It's pretty simple, pretty obvious: that people's first impressions of people are really a big mistake._

_\- Vincent D'Onofrio_

* * *

**Act I: Scene I**

Will Solace thought of himself as a good boy.

He had good grades. He had a good attitude. He had good friends. He had good parents. He had a good life.

 _Good_.

Everything was always good, and at times it was even great. But as the years went by, Will was getting a little tired of good. He was craving something more. Something fantastic. Something earth-shattering.

Something _exhilarating_.

But that was crazy, wasn't it? Will Solace didn't do exhilarating. He did safe. He did cautious. He did well thought out plans that at times involved charts or lists.

But God help him, he dreamed of it. Dreamed of having that special thing that would make his life explode with colour.

Maybe that's why when he saw Nico di Angelo rumble his way through the parking lot on the first day of senior year, his heart nearly imploded.

In Will's eyes, Nico had the appearance of some sort of Italian god. Sure, a scary, broody, doesn't talk to anyone Italian god, but a god nonetheless. Since sophomore year he's been watching Nico di Angelo swing his jean covered leg off of his large black motorcycle, take off his matching black helmet, and run his hand through his equally dark unruly hair.

He didn't understand his fascination with the punk Italian boy at first. Will would catch himself looking for him through the crowds of students, glimpsing over his shoulder at him during class, and waiting for him to make his appearance every day at 8:20am just so he could see the amazing spectacle that was Nico di Angelo.

Will clued in that he had a slight (major) crush on Nico after a month of watching him from afar. It was strange and, albeit, frightening to discover that he was gay. It made sense after he mulled over the fact for a few days. He never had any sort of feelings for a girl before. And when Nico would come into his view, his veins felt like they would suddenly burst with electricity.

He never told anyone. Not his parents, not his friends, no one. He knew they wouldn't look at him differently like some other people in his community, but he didn't have the courage just yet. He wanted to keep it to himself just a little while longer.

Maybe if he knew of someone else who was homosexual, it would help. But he didn't know of any other person who was like him.

At times he wondered if Nico was gay, but would quickly dismiss the idea. He'd witnessed countless of times how girls would giggle and whisper about him as he walked down the halls. He'd even smirk at them sometimes and wink. Will had to look away or else he'd be in danger of swooning.

In short, it would never work between them no matter how much he wished it would. Will was gay. Nico was not. Will was at the top of his class and always followed the rules. Nico barely showed up to school and could care less about following authority.

They were too different. Complete opposites really. But Will still had hope.

Hope that someday, he'd have enough courage to finally speak to the gorgeous punk boy.

He just didn't know that day would come in the form of the boys locker room and a dozen half naked males.

\~*~/

Will hated gym.

He was not coordinated. At all. That's probably why he had avoided the subject for as long as he could. But it was now senior year and he needed the credit to graduate.

He wanted to curse whatever genes that made him lack hand-eye coordination. Especially since their first unit was basketball. Will would rather do fifty questions of quadratic equations than have a large orange ball flying towards his face.

Not only that, but Will wasn't exactly comfortable with his physique. He was rather tall, sure, but he had absolutely no muscle. Compared to the other boys in the class, he looked like a long, thin noodle.

And that is why he decided to leave lunch early so that he can change in the boys locker room without any awkwardness. He was still tying his running shoes when the rest of the class started piling in.

He recognized a few people. Cecil Stewart and Leo Valdez were in his biology class. Frank Zhang was in history. And finally, at the back of the group, were Jason Grace and Percy Jackson.

Will didn't have any classes with Jason or Percy, but they were well known around the school. Jason for being vice-president of the student council and captain of the varsity baseball team and Percy for being captain of the state champion swim team and for dating the president of the student council, Annabeth Chase.

But both boys were mostly known for being the only two people in the entire school that Nico di Angelo talked to. Will at times had seen them conversing. It usually involved Jason and Percy laughing while Nico would either be scowling or letting the occasional smirk spread across his lips.

It was rumored that they were in a band together, but no one knows for sure since they have never advertised anything. It gave Will chills just thinking about Nico behind a guitar.

An echoing boom sounded through the locker room and all of the boys grew silent. In walked Nico di Angelo with a small gym bag hanging over his shoulder.

He frowned at anyone who stared at him and continued on his path towards a locker on the opposite side of Will.

The blond boy felt like he was about to have a heart attack. Nico was in _this_ class?! Seriously?! Will has been trying to get his attention for three years, but he never wanted Nico to see him doing something he was so obviously terrible at! It was official. He simply did not just hate gym anymore. He _loathed_ it.

"Nice entrance there, buddy," Percy said cheerfully while sliding to Nico's side. "You gonna use that glare to scare little kids later or what?"

"Shut up, Jackson," Nico growled.

"Oh, you don't mean that ya big softy." Percy pinched his cheek and laughed when Nico swatted him away.

"You better change quickly, or else Hedge will use his bat on you," Jason warned.

"He's lucky I even came to this class," Nico replied while reaching towards the back of his neck and pulling his shirt off with one hand.

Sweet. Baby. Jesus.

Nico. _Shirtless_.

Will could hardly breathe. Not only did Nico have muscle, but he had several tattoos spread across his back. The largest one was a pair of dark black angel wings that started at his shoulders and ended just above his-

"Listen up cupcakes," Coach Hedge said in his overly loud gruff voice. "Since it's the first day, I'll cut you all some slack. We won't start the actual unit until tomorrow."

Cheers soared through the locker room.

"But, you can't just do anything you want. Principal Malone would have my hide if that were the case. So, you'll be playing a pick-up game today so that I can see what level of skill each of you are on. Shirts versus skins."

Will nearly choked on his saliva. This was not going to end well. He just knew it.

"Jackson! Grace! You're the team captains. Choose your teams."

"Nico, don't even bother putting a shirt on," Percy stated. "You're on my team."

"What?!" Jason exclaimed. "Why do you get to pick first?"

"Because I'm better looking, duh." Percy whipped off his shirt and flaunted his muscles for all to see. "Plus, Annabeth's coming by soon with the volleyball team. I've gotta give her a good view."

Jason rolled his eyes. "Cocky bastard. Alright fine, whatever. I pick Butch."

And on it went. Soon, Will was the last person to be chosen (which honestly, wasn't a surprise to him. He wasn't even insulted). Thankfully, he was on Jason's team. He didn't think he could handle being around a half-naked Nico for the next hour.

The boys began scuffling out of the change room, so Will followed suit. He had almost reached the door when someone behind him shoved his shoulder, surprising Will and making him trip on his own feet. Perfect. Just perfect. Falling flat on his face before he even got into the gymnasium was exactly how he wanted to start off his first day.

But it didn't get to that. He was caught. Caught by someone with strong arms, olive skin, and a _very_ bare chest.

Will looked up slowly, afraid of who he would find. And of course, because the universe loved him so, he locked eyes with the only person on the planet that could turn him into goo. Nico di Angelo.

He had never realized how dark Nico's eyes actually were. They reminded him of black holes. Unilluminated and endless. But if he looked closer, he could detect just a small hint of light brown around the pupil, though it was barely noticeable.

Nico cleared his throat, bringing Will back to earth and making him realize the awkward position they were in. Nico had already let go of his arms, but Will still had a firm grasp of his shoulders.

And what nice shoulders they were.

"Do you mind?" Nico asked, raising an eyebrow.

The first words he'd ever spoken to him. Will was pretty sure he was blushing up a freaking storm.

_Get a hold of yourself, Solace! He's just like any other guy. Be cool. Be suave. And DON'T embarrass yourself!_

"I... Uh..."

_So much for not embarrassing yourself. Might as well just dig up a hole now and live in it for the rest of your life._

Will couldn't believe it. He was too flustered to even _speak_. This was ridiculous. And it didn't help that Nico did not look amused in the slightest.

"Sorry," he finally choked out while releasing the death grip he had on the Italian's shoulders. "Um, thanks. For, you know. Catching me."

Nico didn't say a word as he sauntered out of the change room without a backwards glance.

This was going to be a long semester.

* * *

Teaser for next week:

_Will swore he was teasing him. What with the blatantly undressing in front of him as he stared into his eyes. And the way he smirked right after, as if he knew exactly what Will was thinking._

_He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit._

_Okay... Maybe he did like it. But only a little._


	2. Act I: Scene II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will swore he was teasing him. What with the blatantly undressing in front of him as he stared into his eyes. And the way he smirked right after, as if he knew exactly what Will was thinking. 
> 
> He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit. 
> 
> Okay... Maybe he did like it. But only a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language was used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"Right now, someone you haven't met is out there wondering what it would be like to meet someone like you."_

_\- Serendipity (2001)_

* * *

**Act I: Scene II**

Everything went as expected. Until it didn't.

Will was a pro in figuring out a way to not be subbed into the game. He sat at the end of the bench, he got up for water more times than necessary, and he even went to the bathroom at some point.

But he couldn't avoid it forever. Coach Hedge had a clipboard where he wrote different things in which each boy had to work on. Eventually, he noticed Will's name and told him he had to get his ass off the bench and play.

So when Jason subbed him in, he took the place of Butch Walker (who was a fairly good basketball player, he had to admit). But taking Butch's place meant guarding his long time crush, Nico di Angelo.

It wasn't fair. Sure they were about the same height, but Will was a twig compared to Nico. He was pretty sure all Nico had to do was poke him and he'd fall over without a second thought.

Not to mention, Nico was being incredibly distracting. Did he really have to look that good all sweaty and half-naked? The boy needs to tone it down a notch. Or twenty.

Eventually, someone passed Will the ball. He really didn't understand why, but he would be damned if he embarrassed himself in front of Nico again. So he dribbled down the sideline as best he could, while Nico ran beside him.

He knew that Nico could take the ball from him at any moment, so he didn't understand why he just stuck to guarding instead of stealing the ball. Perhaps he was just humouring Will? Being nice? Or-

Will felt something catch his foot, and once again, he was falling. Except this time, he grabbed onto Nico's arm and dragged him down with him.

Nico took most of the impact as Will landed on top of him. Great. He was now completely flat against a shirtless, sweaty, (and extremely sexy) Italian boy. This should be his dream right?

Wrong.

This was not how Will imagined this going down. Not that he frequently had those thoughts or anything! Shut up!

"Can you get off?"

Will was still in a daze, but his senses slowly came back to him and unfortunately, he could hear the obnoxious laughter coming from the benches to his right. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I said, can you get off?" Nico repeated, his tone incredibly tense.

"Oh, of course," Will said while hurriedly getting up. "My bad."

_My bad? Really, Solace? Really?_

Will extended a hand to help Nico up, but was ignored as the raven haired boy stood up on his own and glared at someone on the benches.

"That wasn't funny, Castellan."

"Oh really? It seemed pretty funny to me," Luke Castellan replied, grinning widely.

Luke tripped him? That jackass. He always liked picking on people to make himself seem superior. In actuality, it just illustrated the true nature of his assholeness.

"Hurting people just for a laugh is wrong, man," Jason piped in.

Luke scoffed. "Nothing bad happened. He's fine. Right, Bill?"

"It's Will," Will corrected.

"Whatever. Can we just get on with the game?"

"Not until you apologize," Nico interjected.

Luke chuckled cruelly. "What are we in? Pre-school? I'm not apologizing."

This time, Percy spoke up. "You should. What you did wasn't right."

"And who's gonna make me? You? Or Mister Juvie over here?"

"Excuse me?" Nico asked, his voice as cold as ice.

Luke feigned innocence. "Oh, was that supposed to be a secret? I guess it's too late now. Why not share with everyone where you've been over the summer di Angelo?"

Nico's jaw ticked. "That's none of your business."

"What's wrong di Angelo? Can't own up to the truth? Just like how your dad couldn't confess that he killed your-"

"SHUT UP!" Nico roared, lunging at Luke and hitting him right in the eye.

Percy was there to pull him back right before Luke's own fist would have connected to Nico's face. "Calm down, man. He's not worth it."

"What's wrong Jackson?" Luke taunted. "Afraid to get your ass kicked in front of your slut of a girlfriend?"

Percy turned slowly. Will could practically see the tension steaming from his shoulders. "You want to say that again?"

Luke smirked, knowing that he struck a nerve. "I said, are you afraid to get your ass kicked in front of your slut-"

"Don't call her that!" Before anyone could blink, Percy was on top of Luke in an instant, swinging punches left and right. But Luke wasn't so easily defeated. He kneed Percy in the stomach and got in a punch of his own before a beautiful blonde girl stopped the chaos.

"Percy," Annabeth said patronizingly as she dragged him up by his arm. "What the hell do you think your doing?"

"Defending your honor," Percy replied, gritting his teeth. He was obviously still riled up from his fight with Luke.

Annabeth stepped in front of her boyfriend, making sure his attention was on her instead of the boy practically growling across from him. "As nice as that is, I can defend myself. I don't want you ending up getting expelled on my behalf."

"But he called you a-"

"It doesn't matter what he called me. I could care less what he thinks. The only opinion that matters to me is yours."

He sighed. "Can I at least punch him one more time?"

Annabeth glanced over her shoulder at Luke and raised an eyebrow before turning back to Percy. "Maybe later. Right now, you need to go to the nurses office and ice your hands."

Percy followed after his girlfriend, albeit grumpily, while glaring daggers at Luke the entire distance out of the gymnasium. Luke just flipped him off and stomped toward the locker room with his pack of lackeys.

Jason exhaled a long breath. "It's a good thing Coach Hedge wasn't here to see this. Or else Percy would have gotten into a lot of shit."

"He's too busy checking in on his pregnant wife to care what we do," Nico agreed.

Jason lightly touched Will's shoulder. "Hey, you okay, man? That was a nasty fall back there."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for sticking up for me."

"No problem," Jason smiled. "Jerks like Luke shouldn't get away with crap like that."

Will wrung his hands together and nervously faced the tattooed boy just a foot away from him. "Um, are you all right, Nico?"

Nico's arms were crossed as his eyes stayed glued to the locker rooms where Luke and his friends were just beginning to exit. "Other than the fact that my ass hurts, I'm just peachy."

Will winced, but Jason just laughed. "Don't worry about this ray of sunshine. He's as tough as a boulder."

"Shut up, Grace," Nico snapped. Not a second later he stalked off and practically barrelled himself into the change room.

"Is he always like that?" Will wondered aloud.

"Not always," Jason responded, a crease in his brow gave away his worry. "He's usually just broody, but a single mention of his family makes him explosive."

Will's curiosity peaked. "Why is that?"

Jason glanced at him from the corner of his eye, then looked down and sighed. "It's not my place to tell. Let's just say, the guy's had it rough."

Will pondered on what could have happened between Nico and his family. Luke had mentioned something about his father killing... What? Or the better question might be who?

"You might as well get changed," Jason suggested. "Class is almost over anyways. I'll put the basketballs away with Leo and Frank."

Will nodded as he slowly walked towards the change room. He hoped Nico was finished changing and would leave by the time he made it inside. He still felt awkward stripping in front of people. Especially people as intimidating as Nico di Angelo.

Luck was obviously not on his side today.

Nico was still half-naked when he entered. He appeared lost in thought as he glared at the white tile floor in front of him. His arms were crossed over his knees and judging by the way he didn't move an inch, he must not have noticed Will's entrance.

Will quietly walked over to his locker on the opposite side of the room. He took out his clothes and contemplated on whether or not he should change where he was or go to the bathroom to do it. If he changed where he was, he would basically be giving a strip show to Nico di Angelo. If he went to the bathroom to do it, it would make him look like a wuss.

After a minute of gazing at his clothes, a deep voice broke the echoing silence of the locker room. "Are you gonna stare at your clothes all day or what?"

Will jumped a little, surprised that Nico was even talking to him. "Um, I just-"

"You know, class is almost over. You should just get changed now."

Will looked from Nico, to his clothes, then back to Nico, who was now sporting a slight smirk across his lips.

"Unless you're shy," he said, his tone almost teasing.

"I'm not shy," Will protested.

"You're red face says otherwise."

Will's hand automatically went to his cheek. He cursed when he felt how hot it was. Stupid Italian boys and their stupid perfect smirks.

"You don't have to be embarrassed." Nico shrugged while grabbing his black shirt and putting it over his head, hiding his god-like physique. "A lot of guys are insecure about their bodies."

Will spluttered. "I'm not insecure! I just don't like stripping in front of other people."

"Then just change in the washroom," Nico replied, like it was the most obvious answer to his dilemma.

"I will."

"Good."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Will stomped towards the washroom stalls on the left hand side of the room. But he immediately halted when he felt a strong hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, you forgot your... Whatever this is."

Will turned and snatched the piece of clothing out of Nico's hand, his face burning with heat. "It's a sweater vest," he explained.

Nico's lip twitched, like he wanted to smile but was restraining himself of the gesture. "Right. A sweater vest. Of course."

"It's not dorky," Will insisted.

"I never said it was."

"Good. 'Cause it's not."

And with that said, he quickly went towards an open stall. But before he could slip inside, Nico called out, "Hey, Solace?"

Will froze. He always thought that Nico had no idea who he was. He never imagined he would know his name of all things. Okay, it's his last name, but it's still his name nonetheless. "Yeah?"

"Sorry if I was rude to you earlier." Will was surprised by his apology and when he glanced at him over his shoulder, Nico would look anywhere that wasn't him. Like he was uncomfortable with admitting he was wrong. "I just had a shitty day, so if I was rude to you, I'm sorry."

"Um. It's uh. It's okay," Will stammered while trying to control his rapidly beating heart. "We're cool."

"Alright then. I guess I'll see you around." Nico turned, grabbed his things, and sauntered out of the locker room.

"Yeah," Will said quietly. "See you around."

\~*~/

Two weeks had passed since Will talked to Nico.

So, Nico might have been right all along. He was shy. At least, when Nico was in the picture. Will was surprised he even lasted a conversation with him. He was pretty sure his tongue had been twisted throughout that entire exchange.

Plus, he wasn't quite sure what level of camaraderie they were on. Were they friends? Acquaintances? Soul mates?

Alright, not soul mates. That was a little far fetched.

But they had to be something right? Especially with the way Nico was behaving lately in gym class.

Will swore he was teasing him. What with the blatantly undressing in front of him as he stared into his eyes. And the way he smirked right after, as if he knew exactly what Will was thinking.

He didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit.

Okay... Maybe he did like it. But only a little.

How was he supposed to approach Nico and begin a friendship when he did things like that? He was doing it on purpose to make him uneasy, which was just... Completely wrong. The slow rise of his shirt, unveiling his incredible body bit by bit. The way his muscles would contract and expand as he lifted the shirt over his head.

He was basically doing a strip tease just for him. And of course no one else noticed except Will. So he'd always get these strange looks wondering why his face was impersonating a tomato.

It was Nico di Angelo. It was all his fault.

Eventually, Will got frustrated. How was he going to talk to Nico when all he could see in his mind was him taking off his clothes and showing off his glorious body?

It made Will's mouth dry just thinking about it.

So, he decided to take a stand. He wanted to illustrate to Nico that he was not intimidated. He would not be left a flustering mess after every class, goddammit! Not if he could help it.

So, in order to demonstrate his newfound confidence, he decided to change in the locker room. In front of everyone.

Yes, that's right. He was facing his fear. And he was doing it in front of his long time crush.

That may not be such a big deal to some people, but to Will it was the equivalent of skydiving for the very first time. His hands shook as he entered the locker room, where a few boys were already getting dressed.

He passed Nico (who was sitting on one of the few benches with Jason and Percy) without glancing at him. He was afraid that if he looked at him he would lose his nerve.

He made it to his locker and quickly took out his gym clothes from his bag. He exhaled a breath and began to take off his long sleeved button down. As soon as he had removed the light blue piece of cloth, he immediately felt a stare that heated the back of his neck.

He made the mistake of looking over his shoulder where Nico di Angelo was unabashedly gazing at him. They had a silent staring contest before Will couldn't take it anymore and looked away, flushing to the tip of his roots.

He got dressed so fast after that that even the Flash would be jealous. He swore he heard Nico chuckle at his antics, which only fueled his rapid actions.

He didn't look at Nico the entire class. He was too busy focusing on not trying to get hit in the face with a basketball. He only got hit once, which was a record. And it was only because Luke caught him off guard. The bastard.

It was the end of class and he had just finished changing when he felt someone slide up next to him at his locker. He tensed, already knowing who was residing his right side.

"You alright? The ball hit you pretty hard."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Will replied. "Nothing some ice won't fix."

There was a pause. "So I see you've conquered your shyness."

"I was never shy," he lied.

"Good. Because there's nothing you should be shy about."

Was that a compliment? What should Will not be shy about? His body? Did Nico like his _body_?!

_Breathe, Solace. Breathe. In and out. In and out._

"Well you certainly aren't shy about anything."

What. The. Fuck. Where did that come from? Will was never so outspoken.

He peeked at Nico from the corner of his eye to find him smirking. An amused glint shining in his dark eyes. "You caught on to that, huh?"

"It was pretty hard not to." Why was he still talking?!

"So, what you're saying is... You're easily distracted by me."

Holy shit. Holy _freaking_ shit. Was he dreaming? Was this actually happening? Because he was pretty darn sure that Nico di Angelo was flirting with him.

_Snap out of it! Nico isn't flirting. He's not interested in you. He's just teasing, that's all._

Will shut his locker, trying to control the heat rising from his neck. "On the contrary. I'm not distracted, I'm disturbed."

Nico sighed as he leaned his back against the locker beside Will. "You know, Solace, I consider myself to be fairly good at judging whether or not someone's lying."

Will's heart stopped. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah. People always have some sort of tell that indicates when they're not revealing the truth. You want to know yours?"

_Not really._

He leaned in closer, his breath fanning Will's ear as he whispered, "You bite your lip."

Oh. My. God. Why was this the most erotic thing ever? Will could practically hear his heart thrumming in his ears.

"I do not," he protested weakly.

"Oh yeah? Then why are you doing it right now?"

Will mentally cursed himself. Nico was a lot more perceptive than he originally thought. If he wasn't careful, the punk boy would find out about his crush on him and this whole friendship thing Will was hoping to work towards would all be for naught.

"Shut up, Nico," Will said, albeit a little too loudly, since at that exact moment, the entire locker room quieted.

Everyone stared at the pair in shock. Will wondered how it looked to them. A tall, lanky, nerdy boy telling the scary, broody, punk guy to shut up. It probably didn't look too good.

Will didn't dare glance at anyone else. He kept his gaze on Nico, afraid that his public outburst would make him not want to talk to him anymore. But Nico did something he never expected him to do.

He smiled.

Will's breath caught at the intensity of it. It was a gorgeous smile. A little lopsided, but it made his face seem so much more carefree as his eyes crinkled at the corners. And the little dimple on the right corner of his mouth gave Will the insatiable urge to just lean over and lick it.

He needed to calm down, because he was pretty sure he was about to burst into flames at any moment.

"You're bold, Solace," Nico declared, crossing his arms over his chest. "I respect that."

The scuffling and conversation in the room continued, but it wasn't as animated as before. They were probably wondering why Nico hadn't chewed him out for saying what he had. He was known for punching people if they so much as looked at him the wrong way. So, logically, he should have done or at least said something to Will the moment he opened his big fat mouth, and yet he hadn't. He commended him instead.

"Why didn't you do anything?" Will asked stupidly.

Nico's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Will shuffled his feet, "normally you wouldn't let anyone get away with saying something like that to you. So... Why me?"

Nico's face was like stone. His stare just as hard. Will swallowed down the lump in his throat.

Finally, his eyes turned slightly softer when he stated, "Because you're my friend, Solace."

Will was pretty sure he choked on air. "I-I am?"

"Yeah." He shrugged, like the idea of being his friend didn't just tilt Will's entire universe.

"But, we're so different." Will wasn't sure why he was bringing up facts that could ruin this current development, but he wanted to make sure that Nico was as much invested in this as he was.

"So? You're comfortable to talk to. Plus, I'm a good judge of character. I don't make friends with idiots."

Just then, Percy Jackson's voice rose over the noise in the change room. "Hey, Nico! Explain to Jason how I would make an awesome merman!"

Nico sighed, running a hand over his face. "He doesn't count. I've known him since we were kids."

Will laughed, wondering how Nico dealt with Percy's childlike energy all the time.

"Well, I've gotta constrain Percy before he does something drastic."

"Like what?"

"Like raid the drama department's costumes in order to prove his point."

Will blanched. "He'd actually do that?"

Nico nodded. "I'd say he'd go as far as swim in the pool with the damn fins over his legs."

Now that would be a crazy sight to see.

"Annabeth would kick my ass if that happened so I'd never let it get that far."

Will winced. "She is pretty intimidating, isn't she?"

"You have no idea." Nico shuddered as if to emphasize the point.

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Will grabbed his things before facing Nico one last time. "I guess I'll see you on Monday then?"

"Yup. See you later, Solace."

Nico gave him a small smile before heading off to his other friends who appeared to be in an intense dispute about what colour Percy's tail would be.

Will felt as if he was on cloud nine. If he couldn't have Nico di Angelo as a boyfriend, then having him as a friend would be just as good.

Then he remembered Nico's large crooked smile and a pang hits him in the chest.

Okay, so maybe just being friends isn't the ideal, but at least it's something.

* * *

Teaser for Next Week:

_"Wait, so you_ know _her?"_

_Will looked at him strangely. "Yeah, she's been my lab partner for like, two years. Why do you ask?"_

_His face turned beat red and Will swore he heard him make a noise that sounded like a strangled cat._

_Percy laughed, his bright green eyes gleaming with mirth. "Because he's had the hots for her since the third grade."_


	3. Act I: Scene III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Wait, so you know her?" 
> 
> Will looked at him strangely. "Yeah, she's been my lab partner for like, two years. Why do you ask?"
> 
> His face turned beat red and Will swore he heard him make a noise that sounded like a strangled cat.
> 
> Percy laughed, his bright green eyes gleaming with mirth. "Because he's had the hots for her since the third grade."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick. 
> 
> Warning: Foul language and some Jercy bromance was used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"There are no secrets that time does not reveal."_

_\- Jean Racine_

* * *

**Act I: Scene III **

Sundays, in Will's book, were considered his fun days.

It was the time where he was able to do the things he'd been wanting to do throughout the week. Whether it was practicing his piano, studying his father's medical books, or reading a novel, it was his personal time to just relax before starting school again the next day.

On this particular Sunday, he was returning home from the library, borrowing the novel needed for English class. He planned to start the book as soon as he got home, the dystopian world really drew his attention.

On the way to his house, he passed by the local park where all the children were happily spending their afternoon. He could hear their excited squeals as they slid down the slides and were pushed higher on the swings.

It was a seriously beautiful day, so it was no surprise that there were a ton of kids running around the place. It also wasn't a surprise to see that the skate park was in full gear.

The skate park was newly constructed. It had only been there for about three weeks. So Will wasn't shocked to witness the absurd amount of teenagers that occupied the area. Whenever he'd pass by on the way back home, he'd stare in fascination at the incredible way the skaters would soar off the ramps and perform their death defying tricks.

Alright, they may not be _death defying_ , but Will would always hold his breath when the skater would reach their maximum altitude, afraid that if he so much as blinked, the skater would fall down the smooth slope of the ramp.

His mother always told him that he was easily distracted. Which was true. Unless he was reading a book or playing the piano, then there was no way to get his attention. Which is why you didn't need to be a psychic to know that Will was an absolute klutz.

Once again, he was enraptured with the skaters when suddenly, his front hit against what felt like a brick wall. Will gathered his bearings and noticed that the person he crashed against had raven coloured hair. His heart rate picked up, but it slowed down dramatically when he realized that the person wasn't the boy that was constantly on his mind.

"Oh, hey Will," Percy greeted, his smile blinding in the blazing sun. "How's it going?"

"Uh, good. Just heading home for the day." He glanced down at Percy's right hand where he was carrying a black and blue skateboard. "I didn't know you skated."

Percy's eyes lit up. "Yeah! I love it. And I'm pretty good at it too, if I do say so myself."

"Quit bragging, Perce. No one likes a showoff." Jason Grace sidled up next to them, bumping Percy on the shoulder once he was in range.

"Don't deny my pro skills Jase. Just because you can't skate doesn't mean you have to be jealous. Speaking of which, isn't Nico supposed to be teaching you?"

Will's heart flared. "Nico's here?"

Jason nodded. "Yeah he's at that ramp over there. He was going to teach me some new things when these guys interrupted. They wanted to see how he did his backflip."

Will wished he had a camera. Nico was absolutely killing it. He did these tricks that left him in complete awe. The way he would move with the board was utterly fascinating. How he moved so fluidly in the air, Will could not comprehend it.

"Oh God," Jason squeaked, his facial expression made him look like he was in pain. "She's here."

Will's brows knit together. "Who's here?" He turned in the direction Jason was staring at to find Piper McLean.

She was an extremely pretty girl from his chemistry class with chestnut coloured hair and kaleidoscope eyes. She was also a good friend after he got to know her the first few weeks of junior year. He remembered how excited she was about the city finalizing the plans to build the skate park. It didn't surprise Will to find her here.

"I thought you said she wasn't coming!" Jason exclaimed accusingly at Percy.

"I never said that! I just said that she _probably_ had a shift today."

Jason huffed. "What good are you if you can't even be sure of your co-worker's schedule?"

"I'm not her keeper!"

"Seriously bro," Jason sighed. "You had _one_ job."

"Why did you want to know if she was coming so badly?" Will questioned.

"So that he could learn to skate without embarrassing himself in front of her," Percy explained. "Speaking of which, she's coming over right now Jase, so you better put on your big boy pants and act normal for once."

The blond boy frowned. "What do you mean _for once_? Need I remind you that you were the one who put Skittles on a hawaiian pizza."

Percy crossed his arms and looked at them both with a very serious expression. "I had to taste the rainbow."

It took all he had for Will to hold in his laughter. These guys had a strange relationship. They behaved like brothers, but bickered like they were an old married couple.

"Hi, Will."

He turned his head to find Piper, a bright smile spread across her face. "Hey, Piper. How are you?"

"Pretty good. I got someone to change shifts with me, so that I could come skate today. I was starting to have withdrawals."

"I told you she was working," Percy whispered to Jason, who whispered back a harsh shut up.

"Anyways, I wanted to ask you if you were free on Tuesday so that we can work on our chem assignment after school."

"Yeah, of course. I can meet you at your house if you'd like."

"Perfect." She smiled and gave him a quick hug goodbye. "I'll see you there at five." She then turned to Percy. "Say hi to Annabeth for me, Jackson. Oh, and tell her I need her math notes for the test next week."

Percy nodded. "Will do."

"Alright, I'll catch you later Will, Percy," she paused for a moment, and Will swore her cheeks turned a little pink. "Jason."

Jason looked like he was trying to swallow a watermelon. The poor boy couldn't even speak.

As soon as Piper left, Jason groaned and dropped to his knees in despair.

Percy patted him on the shoulder. "Don't be so down bro. At least you didn't faint this time."

Jason let out a string of curses. "I swear that was one time!"

"And I'll never let you forget it."

He rolled his eyes and got to his feet. "Never mind about that. I want to know why Will's so chummy with her."

"What do you mean?" Will asked. "I've been friends with her for a while now."

"Wait, so you _know_ her?"

Will looked at him strangely. "Yeah, she's been my lab partner for like, two years. Why do you ask?"

His face turned beat red and Will swore he heard him make a noise that sounded like a strangled cat.

Percy laughed, his bright green eyes gleaming with mirth. "Because he's had the hots for her since the third grade."

Jason gave his friend an annoyed look. "Announce it to the world, why don't you?"

Percy raised an eyebrow. "It's not like it's a big secret or anything. I'm pretty sure she's known for years now."

Jason's eyes looked panicked. "What?! Seriously?!"

"Well, you're not exactly subtle."

"Is that why you're trying to learn to skateboard?" Will questioned.

"Yeah," Jason admitted, appearing a little sheepish. "I wanted to impress her, but-"

"He's terrible," Percy cut in. "My grandma can ride better than him."

Jason glared at him. "Well, not all of us have been skateboarding since kindergarten."

"True. But you're just not good on your feet, Jase."

"I don't think you need to do much to impress her," Will stated. "I'm pretty sure she already likes you."

Jason grabbed his shoulders and started shaking him. "Don't play around with me, Solace."

Will laughed. "I'm not. She's always talking about going to the baseball games and how you should be in the pros, for one thing. Second, she told me once she has a thing for blond guys. And third, she blushed when she said your name a few minutes ago."

Both boys stared at him in shock.

"Dude," Jason said, clapping him on the back. "You're my new favourite person."

"Hey!" Percy protested.

Jason ignored him. "You've honestly just made my life. I know this may be a little much, but can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"Well, Percy, Nico, and I are having a band practice this Friday and I wanted to invite Piper to watch, but I always freeze up whenever I'm around her so..."

"You want me to invite her?"

"Yes! Exactly. But I'd like for you to come too."

Will was shocked. "Me?"

"Yeah. You could help me out when I try talking to her since you're friends and all."

"Wouldn't Percy be better for that job?"

Jason shook his head. "Percy isn't a good conversationalist."

"Dude, I'm right here."

"Alright, I'll do it," Will agreed. "As long as you buy me a tub of cookie dough ice cream."

Jason laughed and stuck out his hand. "You've got a deal."

Will shook his hand, but tensed when he felt the presence of someone behind him.

"What are you two shaking on?" Nico asked.

Jason resembled an overexcited puppy. "Will just agreed to get Piper to come to our rehearsal."

Nico looked surprised. "Piper? So you're finally going for it?"

"Yup. I'm going to ask her out," Jason stated proudly.

"If you don't choke first," Percy muttered.

Jason punched his shoulder.

"Solace," Nico's hand rested on his shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a sec?"

"S-Sure."

They left the two boys to their wrestling match and sat down at a nearby bench.

"Listen, I don't know if they told you, but the fact that we're in a band is a secret. Only a few people know about it."

Will began to feel warm inside. It felt good to be a part of something that not many people were conscious about. "Is that why you guys never confirmed the rumor?"

Nico nodded. "We like to keep it to ourselves. Music is a way for us to escape our pasts. It helps us forget. All of our songs are personal, so if we do perform it would be out of the city where no one knows us."

"I see. So then, who's heard you play?"

"Annabeth, Jason's sister Thalia, and Percy's mom since she lets us use her garage."

"I didn't know Jason had a sister," Will said, completely stunned.

Nico's eyes darkened. "Yeah. He didn't know either until about two years ago."

"What happened?"

He sighed and cast a glance at his friends before looking back at Will. "It's not my place to say. I know you wouldn't go blabbing about it to people, but I'm not the kind of guy who would share other people's secrets."

Will could see the sadness Nico had for his friends. He noticed how it ate him up that they had to go through something difficult in their lives. It made him wonder what Percy and Jason went through to make Nico look so distraught, especially since they could smile, laugh, and joke around so freely. It also made him curious about what Nico's past was like, since he too used music as an outlet.

He put a hand on the punk boy's shoulder. "You don't have to tell me. I understand what it means to keep a secret."

Nico stared at his hand. "Do you now?"

Will took it away hastily. He just touched Nico di Angelo. _Casually_. He was getting way too comfortable with him way too quickly. "Y-Yeah. I mean, doesn't everyone have a secret that they don't want people knowing about?"

"That's true," Nico agreed, a spark lighting up in his eyes. "Have you told anyone of this secret?"

That he way gay or that he liked Nico? Could he categorize those in the same heading? He decided to answer truthfully. "No, but I might someday."

"Would you tell me?"

Will spluttered. This guy was overly blunt at times. "Uh, I-I'm not sure."

"Why not? Don't you trust me?"

He felt like he was being backed up into a corner. "Yes, but it's hard for me to say."

"Well, I don't mind waiting." He rested his hands behind his head. "How about this, you tell me a secret and I'll tell you one of my own? Deal?"

Will contemplated the idea. This game sounded pretty dangerous considering the secret that he was harboring inside. But... This was also a good way to figure out the mysterious being that was Nico di Angelo.

"Alright, deal." He then glanced around at the growing crowd of teens. "Does it have to be here though?"

Nico noticed his uneasiness. "No. I was planning on walking home now anyways. Where do you live?"

"Um, I'm at the corner house on Delphi Street."

Nico's eyes bugged out. "Wow. Nice neighborhood. I pass by there on the way to my apartment, so I'll walk with you."

Will's mind blanked. It felt like he was in a dream. Nico di Angelo was actually walking him home! It felt too good to be true so he almost pinched himself, but refrained because if Nico caught him then that would be pretty embarrassing.

He didn't remember saying goodbye to Jason and Percy. He didn't even recall tripping over his own feet while they were crossing the street. Or when Nico called him a klutz right after.

It was all a blurry picture to him really, until his senses sharpened when Nico said, "So are you going to tell me a secret or do I have to go first?"

His heart rate picked up double time. "Um, it can be anything right?"

"Yeah. It doesn't have to be some deep dark secret. Just tell me something so that I can figure you out better."

"What do you mean, _figure me out_?" Will asked, puzzled.

"There's something about you that's different from other people I've met. I'd like to figure out what that is," Nico stated simply. "It's been bothering me for a while now."

Will's thoughts were racing. This means that Nico was thinking about him right? That's a good thing! "I don't really know what to say."

"Anything really. Hopes, dreams, family stuff, friends. Whatever you want."

He pondered for a moment, then said, "I want to be a pediatrician when I'm older."

Nico raised an eyebrow. "That's a secret of yours?"

"Well, yes. Ever since I was little, I've known that I wanted to be a doctor just like my dad. He's a cardiologist and a neurosurgeon, one of the best in the country actually, so he's put a lot of pressure on me to follow in his footsteps."

"So he wouldn't approve of you becoming a different type of doctor than him?" Nico guessed.

Will nodded. "Exactly. He's a great dad and I love him, but when it comes to my future he's very single-minded."

It was silent for a beat, then Nico said, "You should tell him."

Will was shocked. "What?"

"You should tell him," he repeated. "It's your life, not his. Do you want to do something that you know would make you miserable? Or do you want to do something that will make you happy?"

"Happy of course."

"Then let me ask you something. What do you feel when you think about being able to help those kids?"

Will closed his eyes and imagined his future self working in the profession of his choice. "I feel ecstatic. Just curing them and seeing their smiles would make everything worth it. All of the studying, all of the years of hard work, all of the money I'd put in to my education would be worth it as long as I can make them feel better."

He opened his eyes and they instantly locked into Nico's dark obsidian ones. "Then do it, Solace. The only one that can stand in the way of your dreams is yourself."

He was right and Will knew it. Becoming a cardiologist or a neurosurgeon would be taking the easy way out. He would be giving in to his father's wishes instead of following what he believes he should be doing. Who knew that Nico could give him enough courage to go through with what he planned for his future and decide to stand up to his dad and tell him the definite changes?

"You're right, Nico. I should have realized this sooner." He then blushed a deep red. "Um, thank you. For giving me the advice I needed."

Nico shrugged like it was no big deal. "No problem. Tell me how it goes down with your dad when you tell him, alright?"

"I will. Oh, this is my house."

Nico whistled appreciatively. "Woah, nice place you've got here Solace. Well, it shouldn't really be a surprise with what your dad does for a living."

Will wrinkled his nose at his overly large house. His family only consisted of three people including himself, so he didn't understand why his parents felt the need to buy such an extravagant home. It took Will a month to figure out where everything was with how many rooms inhabited the place.

"I hate it here," he admitted. "It's way too quiet since it's just the three of us. And at night, the house feels like it's haunted. I swear I heard a ghost once."

Nico smiled his brilliant smile and Will's chest constricted. "Are you afraid of the dark, Solace?"

"Absolutely not!" Will protested. "I'm not five!"

Nico smirked. "You're biting your lip again."

Will cursed as heat rose up his neck. "Damn you, Nico."

Nico looked like he was trying hard not to laugh, but Will wished he would. He'd give anything to hear Nico laugh out loud.

"So you've never told me a secret of yours. That was the deal wasn't it?"

"Hmm, it was. I guess it's only fair." He thought for a few seconds, then said, "I live alone."

Will was at a loss for words. "What?"

"I live by myself. No one knows about this except Percy and Jason."

"But, what about your fami-"

"No family," he said harshly, his mood suddenly changing. "It's just me."

That sounded incredibly lonely, especially since Nico was only eighteen. But Will wasn't going to say anything about it, primarily because he had entrusted him with a secret such as this.

"I'm kind of jealous of you, you know."

Will's eyebrows scrunched together in confusion. "Of me? Why?"

Nico gazed at his house in what appeared to be wonderment. "It's been a while since I lived with anyone... Must be nice."

Will heart broke at the sight of the boy in front of him. There seemed to be a dark cloud looming over Nico wherever he went and he wanted nothing more than to extinguish it.

An idea popped into his mind. "How about I come over sometime?"

Nico looked at him like he just announced that he was secretly Beyoncé in disguise. "What?"

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea to begin with. "I just thought that, um, I'd like to see how you live. I'm moving into my own apartment next year for university so I thought it wouldn't hurt to witness what it would look like in action," he rambled. "Plus, I'd like to hang out with you some more- I mean, if that's alright with you."

Nico's eyes captured his, the darkness of them seemed never-ending. "Okay."

Will's jaw dropped in surprise. "Really?"

"Yeah, why not? You can come by this Sunday."

He nodded excitedly. "Okay. Where do you live?"

"I live at the apartment building on Lare Drive, the number is 1301."

"What?! That's a half hour walk from here! I thought you said you walk this way when you go home!"

He smirked. "I lied."

"Why would you lie about something like that?" Will asked exasperatedly.

Nico shrugged. "I wanted to talk to you some more."

Will's heart imploded.

This boy was going to be the death of him someday. He just knew it.

* * *

Teaser for Next Week

_"You like him, don't you?"_

_His veins turned to ice. "I have no idea what you're talking about."_

_"Mmm hmm. Don't play innocent with me. I can tell. It's written all over your face. You like Nico di Angelo."_


	4. Act II: Scene I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You like him, don't you?" 
> 
> His veins turned to ice. "I have no idea what you're talking about." 
> 
> "Mmm hmm. Don't play innocent with me. I can tell. It's written all over your face. You like Nico di Angelo."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language and Jasper love were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"If music be the food of love, play on."_

_\- Twelfth Night, William Shakespeare_

* * *

**Act II: Scene I **

Will was tired of chemistry.

He had been residing at the McLean house for what seemed to be days, when in actuality, it was more like two hours.

It felt like hell.

His brain was completely fried as far as he was concerned and he was pretty sure that Piper was on the same boat. Still, he wanted to finish the worksheet he was currently working on so that he could reward himself with a well deserved break.

Will cursed to himself. It felt like the letters and numbers were shuffling and blending together at rapid speed. That break might come sooner than he had originally planned.

"Hey, can I ask you something?"

He glanced up from his paper to see Piper stuffing a few tortilla chips in her mouth. "Sure. What's up?"

She finished chewing before she said, "Since when were you friends with Percy and Jason? Don't take it the wrong way. I don't mean to sound rude or anything, but I've never seen you hang around them before last Sunday."

Will's attention heightened. This was his chance. He hadn't had the opportunity to invite Piper to the band practice yet, so maybe he could find a way to steer the conversation in that direction.

"We have gym together," he explained. "They're actually pretty cool guys."

"And what about Nico?"

He froze. "What about him?"

She dipped a chip into the salsa on her left. "Well, those three are always attached to the hip. So I was wondering what your take on him was."

"Oh, um. He's not what people would originally expect, I suppose. He's kind of fun to be around."

"Fun?" Piper repeated in disbelief.

"Yes," he said, a little defensively. "You don't believe me?"

"Woah. Heel, boy." She raised her hands in surrender. "I believe you. It was just surprising to hear considering what people at school say about him."

He sighed. "I can see your point, but I think there's more to him than what he lets people see."

She stared at him for a moment, long and hard. Will started feeling uncomfortable so he quickly averted his eyes away from her.

He decided to change the subject. "So, they invited me to their band practice."

"Who did?" she asked distractedly, looking through her phone.

"Jason, Percy, and Nico."

Her phone dropped.

Her intense kaleidoscope eyes bored into him. "You're joking."

He shook his head.

"They have a _band_?"

He nodded.

"Seriously?!" she exclaimed. "So the rumours are true?! I knew Annabeth was lying to me!"

"Yeah, they want to keep it under raps though. So you can't tell anyone about it," he warned.

"I promise I won't. Their secret's safe with me."

"Good. Then, would you like to come with me to watch them practice?"

Her eyes bugged out. "Really? You'd take me?"

"Of course," he confirmed before slyly adding, "Plus, the invitation was extended to you as well."

"It was?"

"Yup. I think Jason is pretty fond of you."

It seemed as if she stopped breathing. Will was worried for a second until she suddenly invaded his personal space, her fingers cutting the circulation of his arms.

"Jason as in _Jason Grace_?"

The look in her eyes was making him fear the safety of his own life if he answered incorrectly. "Yes...?"

Then, she did something Will did not expect.

She began dancing on her bed while waving a pillow around like it was a trophy.

"I KNEW IT!" She laughed happily. "I knew he liked me! Take that Drew Tanaka!"

Will chuckled at her crazy antics. "So I'm going to take your response as a yes."

She jumped down from the bed and pointed at him, her finger just inches from his face. "You can take it as a hell-to-the-fucking-yes!" She let out an abrupt gasp. "Oh shit! What the heck am I supposed to wear for something like this?"

"What do you mean?" he questioned, his eyebrows scrunching in confusion. "Can't you just wear casual attire?"

She gave him a sympathetic look, like he was some lost puppy. "My poor, naïve Will. You have so much to learn."

"I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."

"You've got to dress to impress!" she exclaimed, like the answer was obvious. "At least, that's what my mom always told me. Now, I'm not one to care much about fashion, but I would like to make a statement, you know."

"No, I don't," he said flatly.

"Fine. Then I'll just have to show you." She pulled him by the arm towards her bedroom door.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere to enlighten your knowledge of the male mind."

"But I am a male!"

"I know. That's why I must educate you better."

"I don't understand you at all."

She smirked at him over her shoulder. "Not many people do."

"But what about out assignment?"

She turned to him, griping his shoulders as she locked her eyes with his. "Screw the homework, Will. We have more important matters to deal with."

And with that said, she pushed him into her car and sped down the street.

\~*~/

"I'm going to be honest with you Will, I'm a little nervous."

Piper and him both stared at the house with their anxious energy building up around them. It wasn't a large complex. Just big enough to fit a small family and a four door car in the garage.

He could faintly hear the beats of a drum and the rhythm of a guitar, but that was about it. The Jackson's had a well designed sound-proof garage from what he could tell.

He rang the doorbell. "There's no need to be nervous, Piper. I'm sure this is going to be like any other band practice."

She gave him a look. "And how many band practices have you been to?"

He gave a guilty smile, but before he could say anything, someone opened the door.

The lady who stood in front of them appeared to be in her late thirties or early forties. Will could detect some laugh lines around her eyes that were a mix of different blues. Her medium length brown hair was wavy and pulled back in a ponytail, probably from the day's heat. She received them with a bright smile that was a startling resemblance to Percy's.

"Hello Mrs. Jackson," he greeted. "I'm Will. It's nice to meet you."

She shook his hand. "It's nice to you meet you too, Will. But there's no need to call me Mrs. Jackson, Sally is just fine." She turned to Piper. "Oh and you must be Piper. I've heard a lot about you."

Piper's cheeks turned pink. "Likewise, Sally. Percy is always raving about you at school."

If possible, her smile grew wider. "Percy's always been a Momma's boy at heart. He tries to deny it, but I know the truth."

The teens both laughed as Sally made room for them to enter. Will looked around the entranceway to see a few photos hanging from the walls. Some of Percy and Sally, one of Percy and what appeared to be his father from how alike they looked, and one of Percy, Jason, and Nico at Percy's ninth birthday party. The three of them surrounded a blue cake, with Percy in the center. Jason had his arm around Percy's neck, while Nico was shoving some of the cake into Percy's bewildered face.

Will's breath was taken away at how happy Nico looked. He had never seen him laughing like that or showing such an aura of cheerfulness. He seemed so free. So lighthearted. It made Will ache to meet the boy that Nico used to be and ask him what had happened to make him the person he was today.

"That's my favourite picture of them," Sally said, sliding in next to him.

"They all look really happy," he noted.

"Yes." A sudden sadness clouded her eyes. "They've all been through so much. I wish..." She didn't finish her thought.

"Wish what?" Will prompted.

She sighed. "Nothing. The garage is just around the corner on your right. Would you two care for anything to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Piper replied.

"Same here," Will agreed. "Thanks, Sally."

"No problem. Have fun you two!" She walked down the hall towards the kitchen.

The duo went the way that Sally had directed and were successfully able to locate the entrance to the garage.

Will put his hand on the knob, but hesitated. "Should we knock?"

Piper pursed her lips. "I don't know. Maybe? What if we interrupt something?"

"Yeah, you're right. Okay, I'll just-"

Will was cut short when the door swung open. Annabeth Chase startled backwards, almost falling over herself.

" _Jesus_ , you guys scared me! What the heck are you doing just standing there?"

"Uh, nothing," Piper answered, attempting to look nonchalant. "So are we going to see this amazing band or what?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "The _amazing band,_ as you call them, are acting like a bunch of babies right now, so I was just about to go get some comfort food to calm them down. You guys can go on in and take a seat, I'll be back in a few."

As she left, Piper and Will entered the garage with cautious steps. Once Will saw the three of them together behind their instruments, it felt surreal, yet surprisingly comforting all at the same time.

Percy was sitting behind a blue drum kit, twirling the sticks in his hands. Jason stood in front of the microphone while holding a metallic white bass. Nico was lounging on a stool off to the side, strumming a few chords on his lethal looking black and red electric guitar. As always, he was ignoring the argument that was currently rising in the room.

Percy was frowning at Jason. "It totally rhymes, dude."

"No, it really doesn't!" Jason exclaimed, exhaling a frustrated breath.

"And how do you know that?"

"Because the last syllable of the words, which is the rhyming syllable, is not a stressed syllable," he explained. "Therefore they cannot rhyme."

Percy stared at him, his brow scrunching. "Are you trying to teach me something? School's done for the week, Jase. No more learning!"

"Would you guys quit arguing?" Nico grumbled. "We have visitors."

Percy perked up from his seat, finally noticing the two teens awkwardly standing in the middle of the room. "Hey, our fans! Nice of you to join us!"

Jason's back became rigged as he turned around slowly and gave a small, shy wave in greeting.

Piper strolled up to him, undeterred by his timidness. She looked radiant in her ripped skinny jeans and green tank top that showed a little midriff- which was something that Jason could not keep his eyes off of.

Piper winked at Will from over her shoulder, illustrating that she now had Jason under her spell from her presence alone. She reminded him of a tiger hunting her prey. It was pretty intimidating.

Not wanting to bother them, Will walked over to Nico who had yet to move from his position on the stool. He listened as Nico continued to play a few notes on his guitar, the melody soft and heart warming.

He appeared lost in his own world, unaware of the people around him as he strummed the chords and closed his eyes to the sounds he created. It made Will shiver to see him like that.

Suddenly, he stopped, opened his eyes slowly and bored the obsidian orbs into Will. It was startling to see how intense he looked.

"Sorry," he said hastily. "I didn't mean to bother you."

"No, it's fine. I don't mind you listening."

Will took in a shaky breath, the air in the garage seemed to be diminishing the longer he was around the Italian boy. "Um, d-did you write that?"

"Oh, yeah actually." He started playing the tune again. "It's not finished yet, but I've been inspired recently so I imagine I'll be done with it soon."

"Do you write lyrics as well?" Will asked, intrigued.

"Sometimes. It's more of a band effort really, but there are times where one of us writes our own thing."

His curiosity built at the thought of hearing an original song written by Nico. "Are you going to practice one of your songs today?"

Nico glanced up at him, a slight smirk on his lips. "Not today. Maybe I'll play something for you when you come over on Sunday."

Will's heart rate thrummed in his ears. His throat was so dry he was barely able to choke out, "Okay."

Annabeth came back in the garage with a tray full of food. "Alright, guys. Here's some nachos. Eat up."

Percy jumped up from behind the drum kit, ran over, and gave her a hug, nearly knocking the tray out of her hands. "Oh thank God, Annabeth. You're a life saver!"

He kissed her on the cheek, making them turn a bright pink. "Yes, well."

Percy grinned at her flustered state, snatching a chip and stuffing it in his mouth. "You're cute when you're embarrassed," he teased.

"And you're a pig when you're hungry," she countered. "Seriously. Do you even chew or do you just swallow the thing whole?"

He set the tray down for her and hugged her from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. "I like it when you're feisty. It's adorable."

"I'm going to punch you in the throat," she threatened.

"Naa. You love me too much to do that." He then kissed her shoulder.

Piper made a gagging sound. "Can you two quit the foreplay already? It's making me want to hurl."

"You're just jealous," Percy stated. "Not everyone can have a love such as ours. It's a once in a lifetime kind of thing. Right, honey?"

"If you don't let me go in the next three seconds, I swear to God I'll-"

"Okay," Jason cut in. "Before Annabeth does any physical harm, Percy could we try running through _Songbird_?"

Percy, knowing what was best for him, followed Jason's instructions. "Oh, you mean the song you wrote about Pi-"

"You better stop talking before I rip your tongue out," Jason warned, sending him a deadly glare.

Percy rolled his eyes. "Is this 'Beat Up Percy Day' or something? Geez, all of you are so violent."

Jason ignored him. "Nico, could you start us off?"

"Duty calls," Nico whispered to Will before standing up from his stool and taking a position beside Jason.

"Alright, everyone," Jason said through the mic. "Please take a seat. We're just going to go through our set list and we'll ask you guys about your opinion of each song after we finish. It'll help us know if there's anything we need to change and such."

Piper sat down between Will and Annabeth. She leaned in closer to him and murmured quietly, "I don't think Jason's as nervous being around me anymore."

Will's eyebrows rose. "Really? What makes you say that?"

"He isn't stuttering as often, for one thing. And, he hasn't fainted this time so that's always a plus." She grinned widely. "Annabeth also told me that this song was about me, so it's nice to see he has the courage to sing it to me."

Piper stared at Jason as he adjusted his mic stand. Her gaze was soft and full of affection. He wondered if he looked at Nico in that way.

"If he doesn't ask me out by the end of the day, then I'm going to ask him," she announced.

Will smiled. "Good for you. He'll definitely say yes."

"Or faint again," Annabeth remarked.

Piper shushed her.

Not a few seconds later, Percy counted the beat off on his sticks and Nico began the song.

Their style was interesting to say the least. Will couldn't really describe the uniqueness of it, but anyone with common sense could see that the three of them played with passion. They played their music with everything they had, like it was the last song they would ever perform. As the notes flooded over him, Will felt a sense of adrenaline. A sense of excitement. A sense of...

Exhilaration.

Their lyrics were genuine, poetic, and brought across a message loud and clear. Will was astounded that they hadn't been offered a record deal yet. But then again, they all used music as an outlet, not as a way to make money or use as a career.

Percy's beats were exact and the focus on his face shocked Will. He had never seen such determination in his eyes unless it was in a swim meet or when he was protecting Annabeth. He obviously held music in a high regard.

Jason was an incredible singer, which was a pleasant surprise. And his bass line vibrated through the song, making the melody ten times better than it would have been without it.

Nico was a force to be reckoned with. His hand flew over the guitar neck at rapid speed. Will could barely catch the different finger positions he would do before he moved on to the next one.

When he looked higher to see his facial expression, Nico was already staring straight at him. Will's breath caught at how much he resembled a rocker. His mussed up hair, his leather jacket, his don't-mess-with-me aura. Not to mention the fact that he had pure, raw talent.

It intimidated him. Especially when Nico's focus was solely placed on him, like they were the only two people in the room. His black eyes never leaving Will's blue ones. And the slight smirk he sent, did not make things any better for Will's sanity.

By the end of the song, Will was out of breath. He felt like he had just ran a mile when in actuality, all he'd been doing was sitting on a couch doing his best not to combust into flames from a certain punk boy's stare.

"Well," Jason said, a little anxiously, "what do you think?"

Piper got up from her seat and calmly walked toward him. He looked like a deer caught in headlights with the way that he gawked at her. But she continued her journey until she stood right in front of him.

"Jason," she said seriously, her face not giving away a single emotion, "that was the most amazing song I have ever heard."

Jason winced. "I'm sorry. It's a work in progress, I just- wait." His eyes bugged out. "Did you just say that you liked it?"

"I didn't like it, Jason," she corrected. "I _loved_ it."

Then, Piper did something that no one saw coming. She clasped Jason's cheeks, pushed herself up on her the tips of her toes, and kissed him.

Jason made a startled sound that was muffled by her lips, but the kiss didn't falter. Eventually, Jason finally realized what was happening and melted into her, kissing her back.

Percy let out a few cat calls and Annabeth cheered a happy, "Took you long enough!" The couple separated. Will could tell that they couldn't even hear what the people around them were saying by the way they were gazing into each other's eyes.

"Go out with me?" Piper asked, her voice sounding endearingly timid.

Jason looked like a bobble-head figurine from how fast he was nodding. He even breathed out a, "God, yes," for good measure.

"Well I say we should toast this celebration!" Percy declared. "How about some pizza?"

They all agreed, so he quickly pulled out his phone and began dialling the closest pizza delivery service.

The rest of the practice was uneventful. The band continued to play their set list, filled with incredible songs, until the pizza arrived. The six of them sat around the dining table and began to dig in.

Will avoided Nico's gaze for the rest of the night. It wasn't until he reached for the last slice of pepperoni when his entire body felt like it had been ignited. Nico had attempted to grab the same piece, causing him to put his hand over Will's.

Will retrieved his hand like he had just been burned, which he basically had been. His eyes locked with Nico's once again, goosebumps running up his arms.

Nico narrowed his eyes at him, like he was trying to figure out a difficult equation. Then he pursed his lips, picked up the slice, and placed it on Will's plate. "Here, you can have it."

Will's brow scrunched. "Are you sure?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. I'm not hungry anyways."

That was a lie and Will knew it. But he couldn't find the words to contradict his offer so he relented and began eating the piece of pizza.

He glanced up for a moment to discover Piper watching him, giving him a thoughtful look. She then used her head to indicate that she wanted to talk in the kitchen. She stood up from her seat and without saying a word, left the table.

Will wasn't keen on following her, but he knew Piper would just come back and take him by force if he didn't concede to her request, so he did as she asked. As soon as he entered the kitchen she bombarded him with a question that made his whole world tip on its axis.

"You like him don't you?"

His veins turned to ice. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Mmm hmm. Don't play innocent with me. I can tell. It's written all over your face. You like Nico di Angelo."

Will slapped his hand over her mouth. "Announce it to the whole universe why don't you."

She pushed his hand away, her face gleaming with excitement. "Oh my God, so it's true! I knew it! You always act funny whenever his name is brought up. And you couldn't stop staring at him all day."

"Please don't tell anyone," he begged. "I haven't even told my parents yet that I'm gay."

She paused, looking at him in disbelief. "Wait, so... I'm the first one who knows?"

"Yes," he admitted.

She gave him a sympathetic look. "Then don't worry, Will. Your secret's safe with me."

Annabeth suddenly entered the kitchen. "What are you guys talking about in here?"

"Will's crush on Nico," Piper answered automatically.

"Piper!" Will exclaimed, horrified.

"Oh that," Annabeth said, uninterested. "Isn't that old news?"

Will spun around. "Wait, you knew?"

She nodded. "Yeah, it was obvious."

"Oh God." He was on the verge of a meltdown. "Really? Does _everyone_ know?"

Annabeth shook her head. "The boys are pretty obtuse. They wouldn't know if you threw a brick in their face with the words _Will loves Nico_ all over it."

"Then can you two at least keep it a secret?" he asked, shooting a look at Piper. "I want to tell people on my own time."

Both girls agreed and a large weight was lifted off of his shoulders. Although he would have preferred to tell them himself rather than have them figure it out on their own, he was kind of glad to have a few people know his secret. That way, he had someone to confide in.

By ten, Will and Piper decided it was time to leave. They both had errands to run the next day, so they wanted to get home soon to get some sleep. They said goodbye to everyone, but before Will could step out of the door, Nico caught his arm.

"Hey, I just noticed something."

Will's heart stopped beating. "What?"

Nico graced him with a light smile. "I don't have your number."

Wow. Okay. So... He had no idea how to respond to that. Will decided to just pull out his phone and let Nico put in his number because he knew that if he tried to talk, then all would come out would be gibberish. Or a mating call. Whatever his hormones thought appropriate.

"So about Sunday. You can come over at five, I'll be done work by then. Or I could come pick you up if you'd like."

Will's stomach dropped. All he could see in his mind was him with his arms around Nico on his motorcycle. He'd be touching him. _Hugging_ him basically. He nearly broke out in a cold sweat.

"Uh, that's okay. I-I'll drive there."

Nico raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you scared, Solace?"

"No," he responded, his voice going an octave higher than usual. "Of course not."

Nico grinned, his smile lighting up the night. "You never learn do you?"

"What?"

"You're biting your lip again."

Will looked away from him. "Goddammit! Why can't I control this?!"

Nico chuckled, his eyes crinkling. "Don't worry. I'll help you get over your fear eventually."

_Unlikely._

"So, I'll see you there, Solace. Don't be late." And with one last smirk, he closed the door.

Will stood there for a minute, trying to gain more oxygen in his lungs. He then spun around and marched towards his car where Piper was patiently waiting, a smug grin on her face.

"Not a word, McLean. Not _one_ word."

* * *

Teaser for Next Week

_"I'd sit out here for hours sometimes," he admitted, "just staring up at the stars."_

_He sighed then, looking calmer than Will had ever seen him._

_"There's so many of them... It makes me feel like, even with all the shit in my life and with the fact that I live by myself, I'm not alone. They're always there, like some sort of constant."_

_He looked at him, his eyes soft, shining in the moonlight. "Kind of like you."_


	5. Act II: Scene II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I'd sit out here for hours sometimes," he admitted, "just staring up at the stars."
> 
> He sighed then, looking calmer than Will had ever seen him.
> 
> "There's so many of them... It makes me feel like, even with all the shit in my life and with the fact that I live by myself, I'm not alone. They're always there, like some sort of constant." 
> 
> He looked at him, his eyes soft, shining in the moonlight. "Kind of like you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson (even though I wish I did). All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language and a hot punk boy were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"A hidden connection is stronger than an obvious one."_

_\- Heraclitus of Ephesus_

* * *

**Act II: Scene II **

Will's mother noticed his uneasiness over breakfast.

"Is something bothering you, sweetheart?"

He glanced at her, then went back to staring out the window. "No, why do you ask?"

"Because you're putting maple syrup on your eggs and salt on your pancakes."

"Shit!" He quickly stopped pouring the bottle of syrup and groaned at his food. There's no way he could eat this now. It was just gross.

"Language," his mother scorned him. "That's a dollar in the swear jar."

"I hate that stupid thing," he grumbled.

She chuckled. "But it is a good way to save money." She then took his plate from him. "I'll have the housekeeper make you some more."

"Thanks, Mom."

She scurried out of the room.

Will hung his head in his hands. Ever since Friday night he hadn't been able to think straight. Just the thought of being alone with Nico in an enclosed space had his brain going haywire.

He couldn't study for his biology test, he couldn't put his clothes on right, and now, he apparently couldn't even place the right condiments on the appropriate food. If just thinking about this afternoon was making him act like this then how the hell was he supposed to actually go through with this get together?

"You've met someone, haven't you?"

He peeked at his mother from under his lashes. Her determined yet ecstatic expression unnerved him. "Um, no I-"

"Oh, don't you give me that." She took a seat next to him at the table, sparks lighting up in her eyes. "Who is it? Have I met them before? What's their name?"

"Mom! Stop it!" he complained.

"What? I can't get excited over my little boy finally having a crush on someone? This is big news! I can't wait to tell your Aunt Petunia-"

"No! Please!" he begged, horrified at the idea. "Don't tell her! She'll want to fly over here and then she'll torture me for information and then-"

"Will," she said gently, her eyes soft. "What's wrong? Does me knowing make you this uncomfortable? I promise I won't tell your aunt if that's the case."

He sighed heavily. He couldn't lie to her, not when she treats him like this. "No, it's not that. It's just, I'm meeting with the, um, particular person today and I'm nervous, I guess."

"I see." She reached up, lightly brushing the hair out of his eyes. "I know how that feels, but speaking from personal experience you can't dwell on those feelings. They only hold you back. The best advice I can give you is to attempt to relax and be yourself. There is absolutely no reason why she won't like you the way you are."

Will internally winced. His mother still didn't know that he preferred men over women. He thought about Piper and Annabeth finding out his secret and how much better he felt after knowing that they knew. He wanted to wait till graduation, but maybe it was time. The least he could do was tell his family after all.

"So," she said, placing a hand over his as her face gleamed with delight, "can you at least tell me her name?"

" _His_ name," he corrected.

She straightened, looking a little surprised. "I'm sorry?"

"His name," he repeated. "His name is Nico."

She stared at him. He stared back. Will could practically see the gears working in her head as she processed the information.

After a long silence, she exhaled a large breath, then said, "William Harrison Solace."

He knew he was in shit after that. She never used his full name unless it was something serious or he was being punished. He closed his eyes as he waited for her judgement.

"I'm disappointed and a little hurt that you didn't share this with me sooner." His eyes opened, stunned by the statement. "I thought we were closer than that."

He suddenly felt extremely guilty. "We are, Mom. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Do you have any idea how many young men I could have introduced you to!" she huffed. "Honestly Will. At the top of my head I can think of twenty."

A laugh burst out of him, making his mom smile.

"I'm in the booster committee for your father's archery club. Do you have any idea how many mothers in there have homosexual sons? You'd be surprised."

He laughed some more, his mother joining him. As soon as he calmed down from his laughing fit, he kissed her cheek and gave her a wide grin. "Thanks, Mom."

"You're my son," she stated plainly. "There's nothing you could say or do that could make me love you any less. Now, tell me about this Nico. Is he cute?"

"Oh my God."

"He is isn't he? You'll have to point him out to me sometime. What does he look like? Tall? I bet he's tall."

"Jesus, Mom. I'm not telling you anything."

She pouted. "But how am I going to invite him over for dinner if I don't know anything about him?"

That was a scary thought. Nico having dinner with his mom. No. Way. "You're not inviting him over for dinner."

She gave him a steely look. "If you don't at least show me a picture of this boy, I swear I will track him down and find him myself. You know that Principal Malone is an old friend of mine, right?"

That's when he knew she meant business. So he got up from the table and went to get last year's yearbook. When he came back, a hot plate of eggs and pancakes was waiting for him.

"Here," he said grumpily. "This is him."

He dug into his breakfast as his mother assessed the picture of Nico. "Well, he certainly is handsome. A total babe."

He choked on his eggs. "Mom! Please don't ever say those three words again!"

"It's the truth, sweetheart. I'm not going to lie to you." She looked at the picture again. "He seems like such a bad boy. I can see why you fancy him."

Will was going to die if she kept talking. He was already blue in the face.

"Is he in a band? He looks like he'd be in a band. You know, your father was in a band once. He was so talented. Then again, this was the eighties so it was a completely different sound than what the kids are listening to today. Now you've got songs about wrecking balls, downtown funks, and whatever that damned fox says."

He mentally facepalmed. This was his mother; completely clueless about modern music, loves to embarrass him at a moments notice, and has absolutely no filter.

And despite all that, he still loved her.

But one thing was certain, she was never, ever, in a billion years, going to meet Nico.

He'd dig his own grave if that ever happened.

\~*~/

Will felt as if he had just jumped off a high dive. Naked. In front of the entire student body and their mothers.

He was standing in front of Nico's apartment door, holding a tray of cold cuts that his mom made him bring. Seriously, what kind of eighteen year old guy brings cold cuts to his friend's place for a hang out? But his mother basically forced him into it, so his opinion didn't really matter.

He hadn't even knocked yet and he was already blushing up a storm. It took a few minutes to calm himself down. One of Nico's neighbours, an older lady with a black cat in her arms, came out of her room and gave him a guarded look as she passed him. Like he was going to vandalize something if she looked away from him.

That didn't help his uneasiness. If anything, it made him self-conscious. He wondered if his blue button-down was appropriate for this type of visit, or if it looked like he was trying too hard, or maybe too little.

Eventually he just thought, _Fuck it_ , and knocked on the door.

The creature that greeted him was a god.

No, really. The guy standing before him was practically glowing. Well, as much as you can glow in a grey thermal Henley and jeans. But, _Jesus_ help him, those arms in that shirt...

All Will could think to say was, "You got a haircut."

Which was true, he did. And Lord Almighty, was it hot. The sides were cut short, but the top was left long and slanting upwards towards him. Will's hand twitched at the thought of touching it, running his fingers through it, messing it up. His body temperature was definitely rising.

Nico touched his head bashfully. "Yeah. I thought I'd try something new." His cheeks then tinted the lightest pink.

The action was so cute Will nearly swooned. He had never seen Nico blush before. It was officially his new favourite thing.

"It looks good," he confirmed.

That was a lie. It didn't look good. It looked fan-fucking-tastic, but Will wasn't about to say that out loud.

Nico gave a small smile. "Thanks. Come on in."

"Um, this is for you," Will said awkwardly while handing him the tray.

"Oh wow, thanks man. I love cold cuts!"

An image of his mom appeared in his head telling him, _I told you so_. "It was no problem really."

"Well, make yourself at home," Nico said, waving over the area. His apartment wasn't very large, just big enough to fit a few pieces of furniture, a kitchen, a bathroom, a balcony, and another door that Will assumed led to Nico's room.

What surprised him was the black baby grand piano tucked into the corner of the living room. It struck him as an antique from how old it looked, but it appeared well kept. He walked over to it, lightly running his fingers over the keys.

"You play?" he asked Nico, who was currently scorching down a few pieces of salami.

A dark look settled in his eyes. He turned his back to him, searching for something in the fridge. "No."

That reaction was a little odd. "Then why do you have it?"

His back was rigged as he poured some pop into a glass. "It's been in my family for generations. So it was passed down to me."

"Have you ever considered taking lessons because-"

He spun around, the expression on his face was borderline murderous. "Can we talk about something else?"

Wow. So the piano was a touchy subject. Got it. Will decided not to press any further. "Right. So um, am I going to hear any of your songs today?"

Nico's mood lightened increasingly. He sent him a smirk. "I don't know. You'll have to earn it first."

"Earn it?" he questioned while sitting on the small brown leather couch.

"Yeah." Nico sat down next to him, handing him a glass of pop and a plate of cold cuts. "By telling me some more secrets."

"Oh God," he groaned. "Not this again."

"What?" the punk boy asked, smiling mischievously. "Got something to hide?"

Yes. "No. I just don't see why you can't ask me questions like a normal person."

"Because it's boring," he stated simply. "It's much more entertaining this way."

"Fine." Will put a piece of ham in his mouth. "But you go first this time."

"Alright." He thought for a moment. "Do you remember those gaming cards with like the Greek gods and other mythological creatures on it?"

Will racked through his brain, then finally came up with, "Mythomagic?"

Nico nodded. "Yeah. I had pretty much the entire collection."

It took everything in him not to laugh. "You were a closet Mythomagic nerd?"

"Hey, don't make fun. I was the king of that game."

Will smiled. "Do you still have them?"

Nico's jaw clenched. He looked towards the piano. "No. I burned them all."

Will was taken aback. " _All_ of them?"

He hesitated. "Well, not all. I still have one." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. From one of the flaps he picked out an old, wrinkly card that had an intricately designed animated figure of a woman in silver drawing back an arrow with her bow. A full moon shining in the background.

"My sister got it for me," he explained, his voice uncharacteristically small. "It was the only one I didn't have."

Will studied his face. It looked haunted, like this card symbolized more than just a simple children's game. It represented something tragic. And Will hated seeing that expression overtaking his face.

"I love musicals," he blurted out.

Nico's gaze went straight back to him, his eyebrows scrunching. "What?"

"I love them," he said seriously. "I'm pretty sure I have _The Sound of Music_ memorized by heart and sometimes when I'm alone, I dance down the street singing musical numbers."

Nico blinked at him.

"I think life should be a musical," he finished off.

His heart was pounding at the silence that followed. Then, the most insane and earth-shattering thing happened.

Nico laughed.

And it wasn't just any laugh. It was a full on, head hung back, belly laugh. Will's heart soared at hearing the sound coming out from him. It felt like he just accomplished the impossible. He was astonished someone hadn't popped out and awarded him with a Nobel Prize, thanking him for solving the indecipherable equation of making Nico di Angelo laugh uncontrollably.

"Would you like me to give you a demonstration?" Will asked him. He quickly stood up and began singing _The Hills Are Alive_ , doing his best Julie Andrews impersonation.

Nico was barely breathing by that point. He choked out a, "Please stop. I'm going to die," making Will cease his musical début and grin widely at the boy nearly falling off of the couch.

"Oh my God," Nico wheezed, still breathing heavily. He sent a heart stopping smile in Will's direction. "You're a riot. I don't even remember the last time I laughed that hard."

"Well, I am hilarious," Will admitted, taking his place back on the couch. "But seriously, if I had been born at that time, I totally would've gotten the part of Maria. Julie would've had to watch her back. I am the hotter blond after all."

"Yeah, you are."

Will's eyes snapped to his. Nico's obsidian orbs were as wide as saucers. His skin was slowly turning a deep red.

"I mean-"

Whatever he was going to say was cut off by the loud knocking on the door. Both boys turned toward the sound, one in relief and the other in confusion.

Nico jumped out of his seat like it was on fire and marched to the door. He opened it swiftly to reveal the old lady Will had crossed paths with when he first arrived.

"Nicolas, what was that noise? It sounded like something was dying in here."

Will frowned. That was a little insulting. But he couldn't really blame her. As much as he would like to be, he was no Julie Andrews.

"Nothing died Mrs. Henderson," Nico assured her. "We were just having some fun. And my name is Nico not Nicolas."

She ignored his last sentence. "What kind of fun, Nicolas? It isn't any of that fifty shadows shenanigans I've been hearing about on TV is it? I don't think that would pass building regulations."

Holy shit. Was this lady for real? Did she seriously think they were doing stuff from _Fifty Shades_? Will burrowed his face into a pillow from the embarrassment.

"Uh, no. W-We're not- we were just- can we talk about this outside?" Nico stammered.

Will heard the door close and breathed a sigh of relief. Mrs. Henderson really needed to start taking some pills if she thought Nico and him would do anything remotely similar to what they do in _Fifty Shades_. Just thinking about it himself was making him have a conniption.

He needed something to distract himself with. He glanced at the piano. His hands twitched with the desire to play. He looked back over his shoulder at the door and thought, _What the hell?_

He sat gingerly on the piano bench, feeling like if he sat the wrong way he might break the darn thing. He ran his fingers over the keys, straightened his back, and placed his hands in the appropriate position.

He started playing the first song that came to mind. A classical one, written by Beethoven; _Moonlight Sonata_.

It took him forever to learn how to play it, but he was finally able to master it after numerous hours of practice. He always loved playing it, whether it was for his parents or for his own personal pleasure. He'd get lost in the beautiful notes that floated from the instrument, making him forget whatever surrounded him.

And it was for that reason that he didn't hear the door open again. Or feel Nico take a seat next to him, watching his hands. He only noticed the punk boy when he shifted in his spot and sighed, his warm breath reaching Will's ear.

He stopped, glancing towards Nico who, astoundingly, had unshed tears in his eyes.

Alarmed at the sight in front of him, Will hurriedly said, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

"No," Nico whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "It's fine. It's just... I haven't heard that song in a long time."

A single tear trickled down his cheek, causing him to wipe it away harshly. The silence that followed was overbearing. Will wasn't sure what to do as he fiddled with his fingers.

Finally, the soundlessness of the room was broken as Nico said, almost pleasingly, "Keep playing."

Will's chest tightened at how depressed he sounded, but did as he asked, continuing from where he left off. Nico tracked his every move as his hands roamed over the keys.

Eventually the song finished. They two boys sat quietly next to each other.

Nico broke the silence again, his voice as fragile as glass as he said, "My sister died eight years ago."

Shock rippled through Will like a punch to the gut. He couldn't even speak as he witnessed the eighteen year old adolescent in front of him, suddenly resemble a lost little boy.

"She was only fourteen when she was murdered along with my mother. They were out getting me a birthday present. She found the only Mythomagic card I didn't have; Artemis. And as they were walking home, they were killed."

Sorrow washed over him in waves. No wonder Nico looked so distraught when he pulled out the game card, it was the last gift his sister would ever give him.

"This used to be her piano," he continued. "She'd play that song for me all the time. Mostly to put me to sleep, but I loved it just the same."

"Oh God," Will breathed, unable to even look at him anymore. "And I just- how could I be so thoughtless? She was your sister and here I am playing her instrument and degrading her memory. I'm so sorr-"

"Will."

His head spun to him. Nico had never called him by his first name before. Will's eyes widened as the entire room illuminated.

Nico gave him a gentle smile (also something new). "You have nothing to be sorry for. If anything, you honored her memory by playing it, which is something that I haven't done."

"I'm sure that's not true," he protested.

"Bianca loved this piano. She would have wanted someone to play it if she couldn't. But I just... I couldn't even look at the damn thing without bursting into tears for the first few months. And then after that I would just get so angry that the thought of actually playing it made me sick. So I took up the guitar as an outlet instead and stayed away from all classical music. Anything to make me forget the piano."

"And what about now?"

"Now," he sighed. "Now, I regret it. I should have taken lessons because maybe, it would have felt like I was connected to her in some way. Like she was still here, watching over me."

"So why don't you?"

Nico raised an eyebrow at him. "Why don't I what?"

"Take lessons. If you want to learn so badly then you should start taking lessons now."

"I don't have the money for it. All of my extra cash goes into my savings account for college."

Will pursed his lips. "I could teach you."

Nico's eyes brightened. "You can?"

"Yeah. I've been practicing since I was four, so I'm sure I could teach you what you need to know. We can meet up on Sundays and make a routine out of it." Heat rose up his neck. "That is, if you want to of course."

"Are you kidding? That's perfect! But, um, could we start next week? I kind of want to hear you play some more."

Will was stunned by the statement, but nodded and placed his fingers back on the keys, playing the beginning notes of _Für_ _Elise_.

And for the next hour, as Nico listened to him play, Will's smile never wavered.

\~*~/

"This is probably the best thing I've ever tasted."

Will moaned as he stuffed the garlic bread into his mouth. Nico laughed as he twirled the fettuccine around his fork.

"God, it's like an orgasm in my mouth." He then blushed to the tips of his roots. Did he really just say orgasm in front of Nico di Angelo?

Nico just smiled at his embarrassment. "I'm glad you like it. I was afraid I added too much garlic."

"Nope. You put in just the right amount. I have to admit, I was surprised to see that you could actually cook."

"Yeah well, when you come from an Italian family like mine it's kind of mandatory. My grandmother always said, "If you can't cook, you die." And now that I live alone, I can see that she wasn't far off."

Nico had made him a chicken fettuccine pasta with homemade tomato sauce and garlic bread on the side. Will felt like he was eating happiness. And just so you know, Nico in the kitchen... Well, let's just say that Will was positive the fire alarm was going to go off with the amount of hotness emanating from him.

"I can't cook for shit," Will admitted. "My culinary skills stop at Kraft Dinner."

Nico chuckled. "I could always show you a thing or two. Piano lessons in exchange for cooking lessons."

"It's a deal," he agreed. "I'm going to need it if I'm going to live on my own next year."

Nico's brow knit. "You're moving out?"

"Yeah, for school. I'm planning to go to Stanford for university, so I'm going to get an apartment when I go over there."

Will glanced up as Nico choked on his pasta. " _Stanford_?"

He gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah... It's my dad's alma mater and a great medical school."

"But, it's all the way across the country. Aren't you going to miss people, like your parents, friends, girlfriend?"

Now it was Will's turn to choke. "Girlfriend? I-I don't have a girlfriend."

Nico narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Then who's that girl I always see you with? The one with the short black hair."

"Oh, you mean Lou Ellen?" he asked, laughing at the idea. "No, she's just a friend of mine. I'm tutoring her in biology so she keeps hanging around me so that I can test her. And besides, she has a boyfriend already, Cecil Edwards."

"Oh. So have you ever dated anyone before?"

Where was he going with this? How did they go from talking about universities to dating? "Um, no. I've never, uh, dated anyone before."

Nico stared at him, his gaze feeling like two black lasers trying to open up his brain. "Okay."

That was it? _Okay_? Nothing more?

Will decided to turn it back around on him. "What about you? Have you ever been in a relationship?"

He huffed out a laugh. "No, never. Relationships haven't been my thing."

"Then what is your thing?" Will asked, taking a drink of his pop.

Nico shrugged as his lips spread in a devilish smirk. "Hooking up."

He almost did a spit take.

Thankfully, the liquid went back into the glass, but still. He wasn't going to drink from that cup again. Nasty.

Nico laughed out loud. Will was glad he was laughing more, but did it really have to be when he humiliated himself?

"Careful, Solace. Your V-card is showing," he teased.

Will's jaw dropped. "Can you not?! How did you even know that?!"

"By your reaction," he stated simply. "Nothing screams virgin like a person getting flustered over the mere mention of sex."

"Well, I'm not going to just sit here and take this criticism." Will wiped his mouth with a napkin and dropped it on the table in a _fuck you_ manner. "Good day, sir." He got up from his seat and stomped toward the balcony, ignoring Nico's snickering behind him.

It was almost nine so the stars were out. They were always hard to see from his house, but from Nico's apartment, he could make out a lot more constellations.

"My favourite's the Big Dipper," a voice whispered in his ear.

Will jumped, pushing away a chuckling Nico. "God, you're a dork."

"If I'm a dork, then you're the king of dorks, Mr. Show Tunes," he retorted.

"You're never gonna let that go are you?"

"Never."

Will sighed as his gaze returned to the stars above. "They're so bright. It's incredible."

Nico hummed in agreement. Will peeked at him from the corner of his eye. It was refreshing to see how serene he looked. How relaxed his body seemed as he leaned on the balcony railing with his forearms.

"I'd sit out here for hours sometimes," he admitted, "just staring up at the stars."

He sighed then, looking calmer than Will had ever seen him.

"There's so many of them... It makes me feel like, even with all the shit in my life and with the fact that I live by myself, I'm not alone. They're always there, like some sort of constant."

He looked at him, his eyes soft, shining in the moonlight. "Kind of like you."

Will felt like an anime cartoon character as he stared at him. He could practically feel his pupils turning into hearts. "Like me?"

"Yeah. You're always there when I need you to be. It's comforting to have a friend like that."

Right. Friend.

"What about Percy and Jason?" Will asked. "Don't they help?"

Nico shook his head. "They're different. I know that they're always there for me, but they have problems of their own that they have to deal with. I always feel like I'm burdening them if I talk to them about Bianca or the rest of my family. But with you, it doesn't feel that way. It's like I can tell you anything and all the weight of the pressure just lifts off."

Will wanted to kiss him. Screw being friends. He wanted to grab the collar of his shirt and just kiss him till his lips fall off. And then he would shout to the world, "I HAVE KISSED NICO DI ANGELO!" and kiss him some more.

But that is not what happened. Instead, he crossed his arms because he was afraid they were going to suddenly obtain a mind of their own and grope the punk boy. That would be a little forward.

"Well, I'm glad I can be someone you can confide in," he finally said, a tad bit breathlessly. "And just so you know, it goes both ways."

Nico grinned, his white teeth standing out in the dark night. "That's good to hear."

"Hey, I just realized something. You never played me one of your songs!"

Nico bit his lip as he stared up at the sky again. "I guess that means you'll have to wait another week to hear it then."

"You promised me, di Angelo. So if I come back next week and there's no song, so help me I will-"

"You'll what?" he challenged. "Enlighten me, Solace."

"I'll... Um," Will stammered. "I'll tell Mrs. Henderson that you want her to be your booty call."

Nico's eyes widened comically. "That's disgusting, Will. She'll report me to the landlord."

He shrugged. "Not my problem. The only way you get out of this is by playing me your song."

"Fine, I'll play it for you next week," Nico relented.

Will smirked, happy to have won a round against Nico di Angelo.

And as Will drove back home a half hour later to find his mother waiting up for him, asking him how it went, it was absolutely impossible to get the goofy grin that was plastered on his face removed.

And that night, he might have dreamt of a certain Italian boy cooking him a delicious gourmet dinner.

With garlic bread.

* * *

Teaser for Next Week

_"You want me to do what?"_

_Will sighed exasperatedly. "I think you should sign up for battle of the bands."_

_They stared at each other for a moment before he said, "Absolutely not."_


	6. Act II: Scene III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You want me to do what?" 
> 
> Will sighed exasperatedly. "I think you should sign up for battle of the bands." 
> 
> They stared at each other for a moment before he said, "Absolutely not."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language and Doctor Will were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_**"** Insecurity is an ugly thing. It makes you hate people that you don't even know."_

_\- Anonymous_

* * *

**Act II: Scene III **

Will was rushing toward biology when he saw it.

The bulletin board hanging across from the main office had a large poster with obnoxiously huge bold letters splattered over it reading,

**GOODE HIGH'S BATTLE OF THE BANDS!**

**THINK YOUR GROUP HAS WHAT IT TAKES TO WIN THE TITLE?**

**FIRST PRIZE: $1500**

**SIGN UP BELOW!**

Will scanned over the sign up sheet. There were only five other bands that had signed up. An overwhelming sense of excitement settled over him at the thought of seeing Nico, Jason, and Percy winning the contest. Even though they said that they only played in venues that were out of the area, he wondered if they'd be willing to finally exhibit their songs and their talent to their classmates.

So he grabbed an extra flyer that was pinned next to the sign-up sheet and stuffed it in his backpack to show the boys later.

Once it was gym class (they were doing fitness tests, which Will was not particularly excited about), he found Jason and Percy and basically shoved the piece of paper in their faces.

They both stared at the flyer, bewildered. Then gaped at Will.

"Is this for real?" Jason asked, searching around the room like someone might just pop out of nowhere and yell, _Sike!_

"Yeah," Will answered. "I saw it on the bulletin board this morning."

"Dude," Percy said, griping Jason's arm in a vice. " _Fifteen. Hundred. Dollars_. Do you know how many tacos I could buy with fifteen hundred dollars?" Percy didn't wait for them to respond. "Fifteen hundred!"

Jason frowned. "You know where to buy one dollar tacos?"

"Yeah, it's a few blocks from my house."

"But what about the tax?"

"Oh yeah... So then maybe it's more like thirteen hundr-"

"Can you two stop talking about tacos?" Will exclaimed, exasperated. "Would you guys be interested in doing this or not?"

"Hell yeah!" Percy confirmed cheerfully. "I'm always in when tacos are involved."

"I'm not sure," Jason hesitated. "I wouldn't want to make Nico uncomfortable."

Percy deflated, turning serious. "True. Okay, I revise my statement. I'm only in if Nico's in."

Jason nodded. "Same. If Nico agrees, we'll do the contest."

"Great," Will replied, scanning the locker room for the punk boy. "Where is he anyways?"

"He didn't tell you?"

Will's brows scrunched. "Tell me what?"

"He's sick today."

His stomach dropped. "Sick?"

"Yeah," Percy concurred. "He said he has a cold, so that's why he's not at school today. We wanted to skip so that we could help him out, but he said, and I quote, 'If you come to my place I will wring both of your necks with my bare hands'."

"In short, he doesn't like people seeing him sick," Jason summed up.

Before either boy could blink, Will dashed out of the locker room without another word. Jason and Percy called after him, asking him where he was going, but Will couldn't hear them with the sound of his pulse pounding through his head.

He didn't care that it was the middle of the school day. He didn't care that he was skipping class for the first time in his academic career. He didn't even care if he would get detention for it and his parents would find out.

All he cared about--all he could _think_ about--was getting to Nico.

\~*~/

Nico looked like death covered in a snuggie blanket.

He was paler than usual, with only his nose containing any sort of colour. It was an angry shade of red that Will presumed must have been caused by all the sneezing. His hair was in complete disarray and his eyes were half-lidded with exhaustion.

The dark obsidian orbs glared at him, but with only partial effort. "What the hell are you doing here?"

His deep nasally voice almost made Will chuckle, but he restrained it, figuring Nico would not appreciate the gesture. "I'm here to take care of you."

The punk boy stared at him in confusion, like the idea of someone looking after him was too foreign to understand. "Take care of me?"

"Yes. You're sick and who do you go to when you're sick?"

"A doctor," Nico replied blandly.

"Exactly. So here I am."

He frowned at him. "You're not a doctor, Solace."

"Not yet," Will agreed. "But I will be. So that just has to be good enough for you." He pushed his way inside the ill boy's apartment.

Nico let him through grudgingly, grumbling under his breath in annoyance.

"Now sit down on the couch while I take out my supplies," Will ordered.

He obeyed reluctantly, resembling a stubborn child as he slumped into the couch with his arms crossed. Will could already tell Nico was going to be a terrible patient.

Will opened his small kit filled with a few medical instruments that his father had given him for his birthday two years ago. He put on the latex gloves and took out a tongue depressor. "Have you been coughing frequently?"

"No," Nico responded, but as soon as the word left his lips, a cough came out as well, exposing his lie.

"Right," Will said wryly. "Okay, I'm going to need you to open your mouth and say 'Ah'."

"Why?"

"I need to check your throat."

"Why?"

"Because I said so!" Will exclaimed, already fed up with Nico's childlike behavior.

"Fine, I'll do it," Nico agreed, but not without a death glare sent his way first.

Nico did as instructed, letting Will use the tongue depressor to check down his throat. But as soon as Will applied pressure to Nico's tongue, he recoiled and slapped Will's hand away.

"What the hell are you doing?" he growled.

Will sighed. "I need to push your tongue out of the way to check your throat."

"How about I shove that damn popsicle stick in your mouth and see how you like it?"

"Oh my God, Nico. Every doctor does this. You're acting like you've never been checked over by a doctor before."

Nico fell silent. His face changing back to the broody mask he usually wears in public.

That's when Will realized that he was right. "You haven't been to a doctor before."

"I have," Nico stated defensively. "But I was too young to remember. And anyways, my family couldn't afford going to a doctor's office. So we just worked with what we had."

"Were you..."

"Poor?" Nico shook his head. "We were pretty well off actually. My dad had a successful business."

Will's confusion was clearly shown through his expression, making Nico give him a grim smile.

"We couldn't afford to be seen in public." he explained. "My dad's business was illegal."

"Illegal in what sense?"

His jaw clenched. "Drugs, trafficking, hit men... All that fun stuff. He was basically the leader of an Italian mafia."

Will's stomach dropped. He couldn't imagine living a life like that. If Nico's life was anything like the lives of the people in _The Godfather_ , then he was surprised Nico escaped with his sanity.

"Is your dad, um," Will stammered, somehow unable to even ask his question.

"Yeah, he's in jail," Nico confirmed. His voice then got quiet, nearly a whisper as he said, "He was convicted for killing my mom and sister."

Will gasped involuntarily. "Oh my god." Then, without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Nico's large frame, enveloping him in a hug.

Nico tensed, his shoulders turning rigid. Will quickly realized his mistake and was about to let go when Nico's arms encased him in a vise grip. Nico's face nuzzled into his neck, his lips resting softly against Will's skin. His fingers tightened around Will's shirt, not willing to let him move an inch away from him.

"Will," Nico said hoarsely, making Will's heart hammer so hard his chest ached.

"I'm here," he responded, unable to speak above a whisper.

_I'm here, Nico. I'll always be here._

Nico's lips moved against the skin of his neck as he pleaded, "Please don't leave me."

Will's breath stuttered in his lungs. "I won't. I promise."

They stayed like that for a few minutes, taking comfort in one another before Nico pulled away. His face shifted away from Will's view, too overwhelmed to even look at him.

"I haven't seen him since his trial," Nico muttered. "I stayed at Percy's house for a few years before saving enough money to find my own place, but the pain of what he did always followed me around. I've thought about visiting him a few times, but what do you say to the person who murdered your family?"

Will shifted so that their knees were touching. "Did he confess to the crime?"

"No. He pleaded not guilty, but the evidence was stacked against him."

"Then... Maybe he didn't do it."

Nico's head whipped toward him. "He was found with his gun standing over them. He was the only one around and his gun was missing bullets. It had to be him."

"But why would he kill his own family?"

He faltered, his eyes appearing like they were a million miles away. "I don't know."

They stayed quiet for a few beats before Will said, "I think you should visit him."

"What?" Nico asked harshly.

Will's voice was calm as he continued. "You can ask him about it, see the story from his side. He might be lying or he might be telling the truth, but at least you'll know his side of things. And if you don't like what you hear or you don't believe him, then you can just not see him again."

Nico stared at him.

"You can get closure," he finished.

He could see Nico contemplate the idea before sighing and placing his head in his hands. He let out a muffled, "Maybe."

Will smiled. "Good. Now how about I finish checking you out?"

Nico's head jerked up, a smirk slowly sliding across his face. " _Checking me out_?"

Will's cheeks reddened to an embarrassing crimson. "I meant checking you over! You know, for your cold!"

"You wanna play doctor with me, Solace?"

Will groaned, unsure how they went from a serious conversation to this. "Oh my God. Are you ever not inappropriate?"

"Only on Wednesdays," Nico replied cheekily. He then gestured toward the stethoscope in Will's kit. "Do you need to check my heart beat? I can take off my shirt if you'd like."

 _Fuck yes!_ "Uh, no. That's not necessary."

"Why not? Are you afraid my god-like physique will blind you?"

"More like your flabby stomach will make me want to barf."

"Will, seriously." Nico's eyes danced with amusement. "We both know my stomach isn't flabby."

"Would you just let me examine you?" Will asked, irritated.

Nico was the perfect patient after that. He let Will do what he needed so that he could give the proper prognosis. He then told him the correct medicine to take, to which Nico responded, "But that tastes like shit." Which made Will reply with, "I don't care. Doctor's orders."

They watched movies the rest of the day and by the time they finished their fourth movie, Will finally brought up the subject he wanted to discuss.

"So, I saw something interesting at school today."

"Oh yeah?" Nico said, fiddling through his phone.

"Yeah. Apparently, our school is having a battle of the bands competition."

Nico glanced at him. "Really?"

"Yup." He then paused for a beat before blurting out, "I think you should do it."

It was silent for longer than Will was comfortable with.

"You want me to do what?"

Will sighed, exasperated. I think you should sign up for battle of the bands."

They stared at each other for a moment before he said, "Absolutely not."

Will gaped at him. "What? Why?"

"You know what music means to me, Solace. I'm not sharing it with those idiots at school."

"But you guys are so incredible!" he protested. "And that song you played for me the other day is amazing."

"The ballad?"

"Yeah. I know it's not finished yet, but it already sounds incredible." Will sighed then, wringing his hands together. "I know you like to keep music to yourself and I don't mean to pressure you into this or anything. I just think that the three of you have a lot of talent and it would be a sin if you didn't show the school how fantastic you guys are."

Nico stared down at his lap. "You really think we're that great?"

Shy Nico was too cute. It was making Will swoon. "I think you guys are better than great. You're fucking awesome."

He laughed, his whole face brightening. His dark eyes trapped Will's. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously. But you better be there in the front row. Poster and all."

Will laughed. "Of course. I'll make t-shirts and everything."

Eventually, it got late. Will figured he should get home before his parents (more specifically his mom) got worried. Plus, they wouldn't be in the best of moods if they received a call from his school about him skipping class.

He gave Nico some more tissues after a recent sneezing fit. Nico thanked him with a smile before blowing his nose. God, even when he was sick Nico di Angelo was still adorable.

_You've got it bad, Solace._

"I know I don't say this much," Nico said, sniffling a bit. "But thanks. I really appreciate everything you did for me today."

Will waved it off. "It was no problem. It was good practice for future patients."

"Glad I could be of service then." He then glanced at the clock in the kitchen. "Do you have to leave soon?"

"Yeah," Will admitted. "My mom will freak if I come home too late. I should get going now."

Nico walked him to the front door, but before Will could step out Nico grabbed his arm. He turned, raising an eyebrow in question.

Nico's face looked flushed. Will didn't know if it was from the cold or because he was blushing. He hoped it was the latter. "I wanted to thank you again, Will. I've been alone for so long that I've kind of forgotten how it feels like for someone to take care of me. It, um... It meant a lot to me that you came."

"You don't need to thank me, Nico," Will assured him. "You're one of my closest friends. I'd help you whenever you need it."

"Still. I want to show my appreciation in some way so, um-" He cleared his throat. "How about I, uh, t-take you to dinner... Sometime?"

Will couldn't breathe. He literally could not take a fucking breath. He felt himself dying of oxygen deprivation as he stared in wonder at the boy in front of him.

Nico looked so insecure and small, it seemed so unlike him. But as he gazed at Will with those huge puppy dog eyes full of hope, Will couldn't help but feel a lightning shock of exhilaration course through his body. Was Nico actually asking him out on a date?

Will's throat was as dry as the Sahara Desert. "I, uh. I-I would love to go. To dinner. W-With you."

The smile that overtook Nico's face made Will stop breathing again.

If he was going to survive this dinner with Nico, he definitely needed to bring a ventilator because this boy's smile was going to kill him someday.

\~*~/

"It's _so_ a date."

"You really think so?"

Piper rolled her eyes at him. "I've seen the way he looks at you, Will. He's crushing big time."

Will smiled goofily. He's been doing that a lot lately. Mostly whenever Nico is mentioned.

"I bet he's great in bed."

His eyes bulged. "Piper! Can you not?!"

"What?" she asked innocently, though her eyes said anything but. "I'm just saying. I've heard good things, Will. So lucky you for landing a good one."

"I'm leaving you now."

He walked away as quickly as he could, but not before she yelled, "Remember, always be safe!" He could still hear her cackling as he exited the school.

Will didn't want to admit it, but Piper's comment bothered him. He was a virgin in every sort of aspect; dating, kissing, and sex. So it intimidated him knowing that Nico was all too familiar with those subject areas. It wasn't like this was new information or anything. Will was always aware that Nico was way more experienced that him, but it made him feel... Inadequate. Insecure. Afraid.

Which he will admit that yeah, it's stupid to feel like that. So what if he's a newcomer to all of this? It's not his fault. And besides, everyone goes through this at some point.

But just the thought of it made his stomach clench. It also didn't help when he thought of Nico being with other people. How many were there anyways? And were any of them male?

That was another point that he should have brought up to Piper when he was discussing his possible date with Nico to her. Will still isn't one hundred percent sure if Nico's gay. Or bisexual. Hopefully, he'll find out when they go for dinner on Sunday.

Will's worries washed away as he thought of the possible date. Giddiness inhabited his entire being as he walked to his car, but he stopped short when he saw Nico leaning against his motorcycle.

He was about to wave to him when he noticed a girl beside him. She was mounted on his motorcycle while gesturing with her hands at different parts of the vehicle. She had spiky black hair, a leather jacket, and ripped skinny jeans. She dressed like Nico and completely rocked the punk look.

Will felt as if his heart was slowly being ripped out of his chest as he saw the two of them together. They looked like a perfect match. A set pair.

The worst part was that the girl was making Nico laugh. _His_ Nico was _laughing_. In _public_. That's a feat even Will hasn't managed yet.

And then, the girl got off the motorcycle, said a few words, and gave Nico a hug, which he didn't protest to. Will's heart shattered as he saw her lean up and kiss Nico on the cheek.

Will turned away and speed walked to his car, not daring to glance back at the couple. He couldn't believe what he had just witnessed. Nico rarely interacted with anyone at school and this girl just shows up out of nowhere and sits on his bike and makes him laugh and kisses him and-

Will barreled himself into the front seat of his car and slammed the door shut. His eyes burned with the tears that were threatening to fall.

_Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't you fucking cry._

He wiped at his eyes angrily as he started the engine. He tried not to think of what he had seen, but the images kept floating through his head in rapid succession.

In the end though, the truth was as clear as day. Nico didn't like him. He would never like him, at least not in the way Will wanted to be liked.

And it was that thought alone that made the traitorous tears stream down Will's face.

* * *

Teaser for Next Chapter

_"You've been avoiding me."_

_Will feigned innocence. "No I haven't."_

_"Yes, you have," he snapped. "Don't take me for an idiot, Solace. I know when someone's blowing me off." His eyes then turned sad. "What I want to know is what I did to drive you away."_

_Will's heart clenched. "You didn't drive me away."_

_"Bullshit," he growled. "You promised, Will. You promised you wouldn't leave me and you're doing exactly that."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was asked before if I would do a chapter in Nico's POV. I thought about it and I'm thinking I'm most likely going to do one near the end. I'll also give you guys a special treat and rewrite scenes that are in the story in Nico's POV. The best part? YOU GUYS GET TO PICK! 
> 
> I'll look through the reviews myself and choose the scenes that are in most demand. I don't know how many I'll do, but I'll at least write three. So, if you want to see a specific scene through Nico's eyes, then leave a comment! 
> 
> Until next time fellow Solangelo lovers!


	7. Act III: Scene I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "You've been avoiding me."
> 
> Will feigned innocence. "No I haven't."
> 
> "Yes, you have," he snapped. "Don't take me for an idiot, Solace. I know when someone's blowing me off." His eyes then turned sad. "What I want to know is what I did to drive you away." 
> 
> Will's heart clenched. "You didn't drive me away." 
> 
> "Bullshit," he growled. "You promised, Will. You promised you wouldn't leave me and you're doing exactly that."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know you guys probably want to kill me for not updating in so long. Sorry about that, but there was nothing I could do. I have to juggle summer school, my job, and taking care of my sister and grandmother. Life's hard, but thankfully, I was finally able to find the time to write this chapter the way I wanted to. I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick. 
> 
> Warning: Foul language and a lot of fucking feels were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised (seriously. You might die).

_"I bet not all the fireworks in the world can light up my world like you do."_

_\- Anonymous_

* * *

**Act III: Scene I  **

Will avoided him for as long as he could.

He'd change for gym class in the washroom during lunch so he didn't have to see him in the locker room and flee the gymnasium before he could catch up to him. He didn't respond to any texts or calls from him, Percy or Jason. He even decided to park in a different parking space so that he didn't have to see his motorcycle.

As much as he tried to tell himself that being just friends with him was enough... Well, he quickly realized that it really wasn't.

Will Solace was in love with Nico di Angelo.

And that was a truth that he couldn't keep hidden anymore. At least not to himself. He'd keep it from Nico of course because- reasons. Reasons being that girl Will saw him with and the unbearable heartache that decided to set up camp and sing Kumba-fucking-ya in his chest.

So he might be a little bitter. Will thought it was justified considering the mixed signals Nico has been sending his way from the moment he met him.

And the dinner invite? What was that all about? Will had thought it was Nico's shy way of asking him out, but now he knows he was just assuming things. The dinner was only going to be a thank you meal and that was it. Nothing more.

Maybe he should just give up. After all, it's not like their friendship is going to expand beyond that. Because honestly, how can Will continue to be friends with him when all he can see in his mind are Nico's arms around the girl? His smile as he gazed down at her?

He couldn't. He couldn't be his friend anymore because the heartache was just too much. Too consuming. He needed space to at least get his thoughts in order because his emotions were working in overdrive and he desperately needed time to regain his rationality.

Unfortunately, his little avoidance plan didn't last for more than three days. Apparently, Nico was a lot better at tracking than he realized.

He was spending his Friday afternoon at the library across town, hoping no one he knew would find him there. He figured it was a good strategy since it was a Friday and most eighteen year olds were out with their friends, or partying, or whatever the hell the kids do these days.

Will sighed as he ran his hand over his face. He was beginning to sound like an old man. And it didn't help that he was spending a perfectly good afternoon cooped up in an old library that smelled worse than Mr. D's breath, with a scary looking librarian who reminded him of his aunt Petunia dressed in a leather jacket with matching pants.

He tried to concentrate on the textbook in front of him. It was one of his dad's old ones from university, but Will liked to look through them and read the side notes his dad had put in. Some were educational while others were snarky and expressed his immense boredom of a particular subject, which just made Will laugh.

But even though he did his best to focus on the words of the book, nothing seemed to stick in his brain. Studying for medical school just reminded him of the check-up he did on Nico the other day.

_You wanna play doctor with me, Solace?_

Will shook his head in frustration. Now was not the time to be having _those_ fantasies.

Eventually, he was finally able to engross himself in the chapter about blood vessels when the door of the library swung open with a sudden _BANG_. He jumped in his chair at the sound that echoed through the nearly empty room. He heard the librarian scold whoever entered and his veins turned to ice when he caught the voice of the person who responded back with a, "It's hard to disturb people when no one's around. Calm yourself, lady."

Will quickly started packing his things, hoping he would be able to sneak out of the room without him noticing. Sadly, fate had other plans.

"So this is where you've been hiding."

Will's movements stilled as he attempted to decipher the tone of his voice. He didn't sound angry, more like annoyed and maybe a little cautious. He glanced at him over his shoulder, his breath catching at the clear pain that was radiating from his dark eyes. He looked back down at the textbook in his hand, clenching it tightly before stuffing it in his knapsack. "I've been busy studying."

Nico didn't say anything. He just waited as Will finished putting his things away with shaky hands. Will took a deep breath before shouldering his knapsack and turning to face him.

Nico had his arms crossed in a protective stance, like he was trying to shelter himself. It physically hurt Will to see him that way, with tense muscles, clenched jaw, and eyes that looked about ready to shatter. Will's stomach flipped at seeing how open Nico's emotions were right now, but it occurred to him that Nico wouldn't have shown him this aggravated side of him if he didn't want to show it.

Nico's gaze flitted from the floor to his face, his lips pressing into a firm line. "You've been avoiding me."

Will feigned innocence. "No I haven't."

"Yes, you have," he snapped. "Don't take me for an idiot, Solace. I know when someone's blowing me off." His eyes then turned sad. "What I want to know is what I did to drive you away."

Will's heart clenched. "You didn't drive me away."

"Bullshit," he growled. "You promised, Will. You promised you wouldn't leave me and you're doing exactly that."

Guilt flooded through him. He had promised that, back at Nico's apartment. And as much as it pained Will to be around him, he still didn't want to leave his side. All that crap he had been pondering over, about ending his friendship with Nico, were just lies. No matter what happened, he didn't want to end what they had because it was honestly the best thing about his day.

But knowing all this didn't make the heartache go away. His heart was still broken, and that would take time to heal. He couldn't do that by being around Nico at all hours like before. Maybe someday they could go back to that routine, but not now.

"I'm not leaving you, Nico," he responded, his voice gentle. "I just needed some space from everyone for a while. To clear my head."

" _Clear your head_?" Nico repeated, sounding confused and ticked off. "Clear your head of what?"

Will glanced away, unable to look at his eyes as he replied, "I can't say. I just need time."

Nico stepped towards him, his hands grasping at Will's arms. "Will, I-" He stopped short at the pleading look Will gave him. He sighed, the volume of his voice lowering to a whisper as he asked, "How much time do you need?"

"I don't know," Will whispered back.

"What about our Sunday classes? And our dinner?"

Will shook his head. "I can't, Nico. At least not right now." He then tried to sidestep him, but Nico's fingers dug into his arm.

"Will, don't g-"

"Please." He felt as if his eyes were burning. If he didn't leave in the next second, the dam would surely break. " _Please_ , Nico."

Nico hesitated for a moment, but loosened his grip, allowing Will the chance to escape before the first tear broke through. He ran out of the building, ignoring the enraged scolds of the librarian as he dashed toward his car.

He leaned his forehead on the steering wheel, gasping for breath as the overwhelming amount of sorrow growing inside threatened to choke him.

_You promised, Will._

"I'm sorry, Nico. I'm sorry."

\~*~/

He was buying comfort food when he realized how stupid he was.

Will was in the supermarket on Saturday deciding on whether to buy cookie dough ice cream or chocolate chunk ice cream when a female voice said, "You gonna pick something or just stare at it all day?"

He turned to find the girl. She wore the same leather jacket at last time and sported an old looking Green Day t-shirt with washed out black skinny jeans. Her hair was spiky and sticking out in all directions. Her nose had sprinkles of freckles spread across it and her eyes shone a bright electric blue.

She was a knockout in combat boots and Will honestly couldn't blame Nico for wanting to be with her. She was perfect for him.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Well?"

He shook himself out of his reverie. "Sorry, I just- uh, you could go ahead. I'm still deciding."

She pursed her lips in annoyance as he stepped aside. She then picked out a tub of cookie dough ice cream and placed it in her cart. She stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before saying, "The cookie dough is better, just so you know. At least, that's my opinion."

"Oh, um." He shuffled his feet, trying not to look her in the eye. "Thanks."

She shrugged. "No problem."

He was going to awkwardly excuse himself when another voice rang through the aisle. "Thalia! I found the Oreos!"

Jason Grace sidled up next to the girl - _Thalia_ \- and placed two boxes of Oreos in the cart. He then noticed Will and smiled brightly. "Hey, Will. How's it going?"

"Uh, good." It came out more like a question, but Jason didn't seem to notice.

"Have you met my sister?" Jason asked, his eyes turning gentler as he looked at the girl beside him. "Will, this is Thalia, my older sister. And Thalia, this is Will Solace. He goes to school with the guys and me."

That must have been how Nico knew her. Thalia was Jason's mysterious sister that he had mentioned a few weeks ago. He had completely forgotten her name until now. He wondered why he'd never seen her around before. Then again, it was probably complicated considering Nico's cryptic response to Will's surprise at finding out about the other Grace sibling.

_"Yeah. He didn't know either until about two years ago."_

What could have happened? How had Jason not known he had a sister all this time? But Will's musing was cut short by Thalia's bewildered expression. "Wait. _You're_ Will?"

He scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "Yes?"

Thalia smirked. The gleam that sparked in her eyes did not help ease his nerves in the slightest. "So you're the one Nico's been talking about."

His entire body went stiff. "What?"

"God, he hasn't shut up about you for days," she went on, unknowing of Will's pulse roaring in his ears. "And when I went to pick up Jase at your school the other day, he was just going on and on about the date he was going to take you-"

" _Date_?" both Jason and him exclaimed simultaneously.

"Yeah..." She stared at them like they were crazy. "He didn't tell you?"

The question was directed at Jason, but Will stammered out a, "But I thought..."

Thalia arched a brow in question. "You thought what?"

"I-I thought that- that you two..."

Her eyes bulged out in shock, but not a moment after, she let out a large cackle. "Y-You thought-" She grabbed her stomach as she hunched over. "T-That Nico and I-" She laughed some more as Jason appeared completely lost while Will was dying from the horrible truth that had just been unveiled.

_They weren't together. It was a date. They weren't together. It was a date._

_IT WAS A DATE!_

He was an idiot. He was such a freaking idiot. He knew better than to make assumptions and in the end, he did exactly that. He hoped, he wished, he _prayed_ that it wasn't too late.

Thalia wiped a tear from her eye as she grinned widely. "Oh god, I haven't laughed that hard in a while. To answer your question Will, no Nico and I aren't together. Nor will we ever be. He doesn't swing for my team."

"So he's-"

"Gay? Yeah. One hundred percent."

Will was still stunned. "And he's-"

"Into you? Yup. He's basically a love-sick puppy."

"How did I not know any of this?" Jason complained. "I'm one of his best friends!"

Thalia clapped him on the shoulder in a placating gesture. "No offense little bro, but you're pretty oblivious in the whole relationship department."

"Not as much as Percy!" he protested. "It took him forever to realize that Annabeth liked him."

"But he figured out Nico's sexuality way before you so."

"I can't believe I'm the last one to find out about this," he grumbled.

Thalia glanced at Will. "I think you're tied for that title, Jase. This one seems pretty lost."

Will was completely dumbfounded. Since the beginning of the school year his crush on Nico had grown to the size of a mountain, making him secretly pine for him from afar. But he had no idea that there was a possibility that Nico was pining over him too.

He had to see him.

Before either Grace sibling could say another word, Will dashed toward the exit of the supermarket.

_Please don't let it be too late._

\~*~/

Nico wasn't at his apartment.

But it was Saturday afternoon, so that could only mean that Nico was working. He had mentioned to Will in passing before that he worked at an auto repair shop not too far from his house. He hadn't given the name of the shop, but Will was able to find it easily since it was only a few streets over from Nico's apartment complex.

Will barged into the front entrance, panting as he tried to catch his breath. Running from the supermarket, to Nico's place, to his work... Not the best idea. He really needed to make some extra time for exercising during the week if he was going to run across half the town to proclaim his undying love for someone. Hopefully, he only had to do this once.

"Can I help you?"

Will looked up from his wheezing to find an extremely fit African-American dude staring at him warily. He wore one of those coveralls mechanics wear and the name _Beckendorf_ was stitched right over his heart.

Will leaned on the front counter, still gulping large breaths of air. "I-I need to-" He stopped, raising a finger in a _hold on a second_ gesture.

The guy came around the counter, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Hey man, you alright? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Will waved away his concern. "I'm fine," he said, finally able to speak a proper sentence. His lungs still felt like they were on fire, but- priorities. He had to see Nico. "Is Nico around?"

Beckendorf raised an eyebrow. "Di Angelo? Yeah, he's in the garage."

"I need to see him. Now. It's an emergency."

Will supposed he sounded urgent enough from the way Beckendorf backed off slightly. He might have looked a little crazed too, but that was besides the point.

Beckendorf nodded his head toward a door across the room. "He's in there."

Will said a quick thanks before sprinting (again, bad idea considering how little oxygen his body contained at the moment) to the door. He opened it to find the garage filled with different models of cars and spotted a few motorcycles here and there as well.

He found Nico working on a black Mustang. He was underneath the car and Will could hear the clang of tools as he switched them from the tool box close by to his hand.

He couldn't reach a specific tool, so Will just picked it up and handed it to him. Nico let out a gruff, "Thanks," to which Will responded with, "You're welcome."

The garage suddenly went quiet. Will could only hear the puffs of his own breath as he witnessed Nico's legs stiffen at the sound of his voice. He pretended that his heart didn't tear at the action.

Nico continued working after a second. His own voice was angry as he ground out, "What do you want?"

"I'm sorry." He heard Nico sigh harshly as he banged against something with his tool. "I didn't know."

Nico slid out from under the car. His coveralls were half off, only a tank top covering his upper body with what appeared to be grease and oil stains covering it. He had a dark smudge smeared across his cheek, making Will resist the urge to reach over and wipe it away. He only glanced at Will for a moment before picking up his tool box and walking toward a work bench.

"It's fine, Solace," Nico said, his voice unrecognizable. His back was turned and Will could see the tension that rose in his shoulders as he organized his box. "You don't have to apologize. I thought I saw something that wasn't there. It was just a misunderstanding."

Will's soul shattered. Was that what he thought? That Will didn't like him in that way? "You're an idiot."

Nico's head whipped around. " _What_?"

Okay... Not how he wanted to go about this, but he supposed it was better to just come out and say it. He didn't want to linger with this any longer. "I like you."

Nico stared.

Will did the same, unable to break his gaze even if he wanted to. "I like you, Nico. I like you so fucking much and when I saw you with Thalia outside of school that day, I just got so jealous. You guys looked perfect together and I couldn't even breathe because I thought I would never have that with you. And that's why I've been so distant these past few days because seeing her with you just broke my fucking heart."

Will felt his eyes getting watery, but he swallowed it down as he continued. "But I saw her at the supermarket today and she told me about how you guys weren't together and that you were into me and how you referred to our dinner as a date and I just- _God_ , I just realized how stupid I was and-"

"Will."

"-I couldn't go another second without you knowing that I feel the same way and-"

" _Will_."

"-you're just so amazing and I like you so much- well, probably more than like, but-"

The next thing he knew, he was being pushed up against the hood of the Mustang, Nico's arms trapping him in. The remaining oxygen in Will's lungs left him in that moment as Nico gazed down at him, his eyes the softest he's ever seen.

Nico's hand grazed his cheek before placing itself firmly at the back of his neck. His lips parted slightly as Nico leaned in closer, his forehead resting against Will's.

"I more than like you too, Will," he whispered before leaning in the rest of the way and planting his mouth over Will's.

Will's heart was working double time. His head was dizzy and his palms were sweaty and all he could do was breathe in sharply through his nose as his eyes stayed wide open in shock.

The kiss didn't last long. It was only a few seconds before Nico retracted slightly, his lips still brushing over Will's. He was breathing harshly and all Will could do was stare in wonderment.

"Was that okay?" Nico asked, his voice hoarse.

Will nodded quickly, unable to speak. God, it was so much fucking better than okay. It was _earth-shattering_.

"Wanna do it again?"

Did he even have to ask?

This time, Will kissed him. Wrapping his arms around Nico's neck, making him stumble a bit before regaining his balance.

Nico groaned as he enveloped Will in his own arms, tightening his hold on him as he deepened the kiss. The sound made Will's veins spark with electricity and he responded with his own answering groan as Nico bit his bottom lip and then soothed it with his tongue.

Finally, Will couldn't breathe anymore and reluctantly separated from Nico with a gasp. Nico was undeterred as he continued kissing Will down his jaw to the hollow of his throat. He then went back up and started sucking just underneath Will's ear.

Will let out a strangled cry and could practically feel Nico's grin against his skin as he resumed biting and sucking on the spot.

"If you give me a hickey I swear I'll punch you."

Nico laughed as he leaned back up and kissed Will deeply, his hands running through his hair. Will sighed in content as he griped his shirt and pulled him closer, not caring that he was probably covered in grease by now.

Nico separated after a moment, panting hard as he whispered, "Do you want to go on a date with me, Will?"

He pretending to think it over. "Will there be garlic bread?"

Nico grinned, nipping at his lip before responding, "If you want there to be."

"Then yes," he replied, his eyes gleaming. "I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Good." Nico smiled at him gently, making Will's breath catch in his throat. He then looked down at his watch. "My shift ends in ten minutes. Wanna come to my apartment after?"

"Fuck, yes."

Nico laughed as Will blushed to the tip of his roots. He had not meant to say that out loud, but- oh well. What's done is done. And if that means that he gets to make out with Nico for a few hours...

Well, Will wasn't going to complain about that.

* * *

Teaser For Next Chapter:

_As soon as Nico was finished, Will stared at him in awe. "Did you write that song for me?"_

_Nico looked down at his guitar, trying to hide the blush that was currently staining his cheeks. "You're so vain, Solace. Not everything's about you."_

_"But in this case it is, right?" Will smiled._

_Nico gazed up at him through his lashes. "Yeah. It is."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hat's off to the people who knew the girl in the last chapter was Thalia. Way to go guys! 
> 
> So, what do you think of Solangelo's first kiss? Send me your thoughts! And remember to vote for the Solangelo scene you wish to see in Nico's POV! I'll be writing those at the end of the story, so cast your votes in now! 
> 
> (I have a feeling a lot of you will want to see this one through Nico's eyes.)


	8. Act III: Scene II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As soon as Nico was finished, Will stared at him in awe. "Did you write that song for me?"
> 
> Nico looked down at his guitar, trying to hide the blush that was currently staining his cheeks. "You're so vain, Solace. Not everything's about you."
> 
> "But in this case it is, right?" Will smiled.
> 
> Nico gazed up at him through his lashes. "Yeah. It is."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick. And I don't own Hold On To You. Those rights are for Griffin Peterson
> 
> Warning: Foul language, slightly graphic violence, and a lot of Solangelo fluff were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"The worst kind of_ _pain_

 _is seeing someone you love in_ _pain._ _"_

_\- Batiste_

* * *

**Act III: Scene II**

Will felt as if he were running on an everlasting high.

From the moment Nico and him kissed, he could not stop smiling. Really. He couldn't. He tried while he was looking in the mirror and failed countless times.

When he left his house that morning, giving his mom a hug and a cheerful goodbye, he was certain that she knew. He probably had that _I had my first kiss and it was fucking awesome_ face. And the look she gave him afterwards, well... He was certain that he was going to get an extensive interview when he came back from school.

Will's stomach was churning with butterflies the entire way there. He couldn't wait to see Nico. They had planned to have their date the day after they got together, but they honestly just ended up making out on Nico's couch without a care in the world. So they rescheduled to the upcoming Sunday.

Although nothing could compare to driving into his usual parking space and finding Nico there, already waiting for him, while leaning against his sleek black motorcycle.

He looked seriously delicious in his leather jacket and aviators. Will could only stay glued to his spot as Nico approached him leisurely. He then cupped Will's cheeks in his hands and kissed him, slow and deep. Will's eyes practically rolled back from how good that felt. Nico's lips were soft, which was a stark contrast to his hands that were rough from work. And as he threaded his fingers through Will's hair, Will couldn't help but let out a quiet groan into his mouth.

Nico pulled back slowly, a wicked grin spreading across his face. His voice was husky as he murmured, "Good morning."

If this was how he was going to be greeted every day, he wouldn't have good mornings. He'd have fan-fucking-tastic mornings.

"Good morning," Will sighed, staring up at Nico through lidded eyes.

"If this is how you're going to act whenever I kiss you, then I should have done it a long time ago," Nico replied cheekily.

"You should have. It would've saved us a lot of time."

He chuckled, wrapping his arm over Will's shoulders as they walked into school together. "You could've kissed me too, you know. I wouldn't have minded."

"I didn't even know you were gay until Saturday! I wasn't just going to kiss you out of the blue unless I was sure."

"Well now you can kiss me whenever you want." He then leaned in close to Will's ear. " _Wherever_ you want."

Will blushed to the tip of his roots. He slapped Nico on the arm. "Could you not?! We're at school! In front of people!"

Nico smirked. "I just like seeing you blush. It's cute."

Will grumbled a few curse words while Nico kissed his cheek in apology.

"Well, well, well... What do we have here?"

Both of them rolled their eyes in sync as Luke stopped in front of them, his cronies at either side.

"What do you want, Castellan?" Nico demanded, his voice low and threatening.

"Nothing in particular," Luke replied, his tone strangely innocent. "I'm just shocked that I didn't know you played for the other team di Angelo."

"You've got a problem with that?" Nico growled.

Luke raised his hands in mock surrender. "None whatsoever, but..." His eyes landed on Will, turning mischievous. "It is good to know more about your enemies, isn't it?"

Nico's hand tightened on Will's shoulder as he moved slightly forward, his stance protective. "If you even lay a finger on Will, I swear to God-"

"I promise I won't do anything to your precious nerd, di Angelo. You have my word. Besides," he scoffed, "I have better things to do than waste my time beating up a geek."

"You better, because if anything happens to him, I will come after you Castellan. You have my word on _that_."

The two boys glared at each other, the intensity in the air increasing by the second.

The bell rang, signaling the students that they had a few minutes to get to class. "Nico," Will said quietly, pulling on his shirt. "Let's go to class, okay."

Nico said nothing as he let Will guide him around Luke and his crew and down the hallway.

Will didn't say it aloud, afraid he might set Nico off in a frenzy, but the way that Luke looked at him just then... It unnerved him. He didn't trust Luke's word in the slightest and he would not put it past Luke to beat Will up just to cause Nico pain now that they were together. He took a shaky breath just thinking about it.

From now on, he'd have to be on red alert.

\~*~/

Piper was the most embarrassing person Will had ever had the pleasure to know.

Once she found out about Will and Nico finally becoming official, she didn't even congratulate them. She just screamed, "I CALLED IT!" at the top of her lungs. Then she turned to Annabeth and said smugly, "Chase, you owe me twenty bucks."

Annabeth grudgingly gave her the money before grumbling at them, "You guys just couldn't wait another week, could you?"

"It's your fault for betting on us," Nico replied.

"That reminds me," Piper said, snapping her fingers, "Percy owes me thirty dollars since Will professed his love first."

Will's face was so red, he was pretty sure he resembled a stop sign. "You bet on that too?!"

"Of course," Piper grinned. "We bet on everything, Will. _Everything_."

" _Jesus Christ_ ," Will groaned, burying his face into Nico's neck. "We need new friends."

"I second that," Nico chuckled.

Percy and Jason were both happy for them. Percy was still a little peeved since he lost thirty dollars, so as consolation, Nico let him scold him for not professing his undying love for Will weeks ago.

"You only had to say three words, bro. _Three words_. It was so simple!"

"It took you four years to finally tell Annabeth you were in love with her, so shut the fuck up."

Percy pouted at that, to which Annabeth just kissed his cheek and said, "It was better late than never, though."

Piper scrunched her nose in disgust. "Ugh, you're sappiness is grossing me out. Come here, Jason. Let's be sappy too!"

Overall, it was a good day.

On Saturday (one week of being a couple, not that Will was counting or anything, shut up), Will thought he would be a good boyfriend and bring Nico lunch while he was working at the shop. He asked his housekeeper is she could make some lasagna for him because even though Nico's a great cook, he barely eats and the boy really needs to have more food in his system.

He made it to the shop at around two. Beckendorf was going through a few papers at the front desk when he entered. "Hey, Will," he greeted. "Nico's in the garage and if you're planning to make out again, would you mind giving me a heads up?"

Will still felt mortified from the memory of a few nights ago. "We will. Again, sorry about that."

Beckendorf smirked. "No worries. Just don't damage any cars while you're at it."

Will nodded quickly and rushed toward the garage entrance. He can never look Beckendorf in the eye again.

He found Nico working underneath a Ford this time. He tapped his leg with his shoe to get his attention. "Hey, I got you lunch."

Nico slid out from under the car and grinned widely up at him. "You got me food?"

"Yes. Don't look so excited, half of it's for me."

Nico gave him a chaste kiss. "I don't mind sharing with you. Oh, wow! Lasagna!" He then stared at Will skeptically. "You didn't make it did you?"

"I love the amount of trust you have in my cooking," Will deadpanned. "But no, I didn't make it. My housekeeper, Sasha, did. She's a great cook."

"I'll eat it then." He offered Will a chair and they sat down together at the small table near the edge of the garage. "I still can't believe you have a housekeeper."

Will shrugged. "She's been around almost my entire life so I'm used to her, I guess. She mostly helps with the cleaning, but sometimes she cooks us meals if my mom is too busy or tired."

"It must be nice."

"I'm definitely lucky. I'd never take her for granted. She's always been there for me when I need her, especially when I was little and I needed someone to play with me."

"Did both your parents work a lot?"

"At the time, they did." Will sighed. "I got pretty lonely being in the house by myself all day, so Sasha would always find some time to play a game with me or watch a movie. Mom doesn't work as much now, so she's usually around since she can run her business at home, but dad still works crazy hours."

Nico took his hand, threading his fingers with Will's. "Well, now you have me. I won't ever make you feel lonely, Will."

His breath caught. "I won't make you feel lonely either. I'll be with you no matter what, Nico."

Nico clasped his cheeks and kissed him deeply. His lips tasted like tomato sauce and Will's entire body leaned into his touch. Yeah, he loved this boy. He loved him a lot.

"I've gotta get back to work," Nico whispered, his breath fanning against Will's mouth. "I'll be done earlier today so would you mind waiting for me at my place?"

"I wouldn't mind," Will replied, still in a daze.

"Here's my key." He handed the key to Will and grinned wickedly. "I'll see you there, Solace."

Will still had no idea how Nico could make a room's temperature increase by a thousand degrees, but _God,_ he suddenly felt like he was suffering from a heatstroke.

Will kissed him one last time (okay, three more times), before heading off to Nico's apartment. He decided to buy some junk food along the way, just in case they decided to watch a movie later. Nico loved M&M's, so Will bought two whole packs plus some Coffee Crisps for himself among other things.

When he arrived at Nico's apartment building, he was ecstatic to find a parking space near the front door. He collected the bag of junk food that he purchased and locked his car before walking toward the entrance. Just as he reached out to grab the handle, a hand shot out of nowhere and gripped his arm in a vice.

Will startled and dropped his bag, the contents spilling everywhere. He turned to look at whoever had grabbed him, but before he knew it, a punch was landing squarely to his jaw. He stumbled backwards when another set of hands pushed his shoulders down and a knee went flying towards his stomach.

Will hunched over in pain, wheezing as he tried to regain some air. His two attackers picked him up and dragged him to the back of the building where no one would witness whatever they had planned for him next.

Will tried to call out for help, but the air was still knocked out of him. He coughed and the two attackers pushed him down to his knees. He looked up, trying to get a glimpse of their faces, but they punched him again.

"Please," he groaned out. "Please, stop. Why are you doing this?"

"Revenge," a familiar voice answered. "It's nothing against you, Solace, but this is the best way to get to him."

Will glanced up and his eyes latched on Luke's form. He had his arms crossed between two of his loyal crew members. He sneered down at Will, his eyes slicing through him like knives.

"Di Angelo has pissed me off for the last time," he growled. "You're his weakness so this is the most effective way to get revenge for everything he's done."

"You're a psychopath," Will stated through gritted teeth.

Luke crouched down in front of him. "You have your boyfriend to thank for this. Maybe next time, he won't be so quick to insult me."

Will spat in his face.

Luke wiped his face slowly, his expression turning to one of full hatred. "You know, I was going to let them go easy on you, but now..." He turned to look at his lackeys. "I don't want to recognize him by the time it's over."

The two of them nodded in assent and advanced on Will. He tried to scurry away, but he was too slow. One kicked him in the ribs, while another hit him in the back. It was just punch after punch and kick after kick.

He pleaded for them to stop, but they just kept going. He could taste the blood in his mouth and feel the shattering of his insides.

Eventually, Will's head hit the pavement, and all he could see was black.

\~*~/

Will faded in and out of consciousness.

He remembered hearing voices mostly. He heard Nico's low baritone, his mother's high octave that she gets when she's either hysterical or close to crying, and... His father. He remembered hearing his father giving orders with his voice that demanded attention, but... Something was off about it. Unfortunately, Will couldn't give it much thought before he descended into the darkness once again.

Eventually, his eyes blinked open. He squinted from the harsh lights and no matter how hard he tried, his left eye refused to open larger than a slit.

He heard music and looked to his right to find Nico strumming his guitar to a soft melody. His head was bowed as he played. Will attempted to speak out, but his voice was so hoarse he couldn't even whisper. How long had he been asleep?!

Then Nico began singing.

_"The cool air running through my hair_

_Nights like these, doesn't seem fair_

_For you and I to be so far away"_

The song was beautiful. It was sad and full of longing, but absolutely beautiful just the same. Will didn't dare try to speak again. He wanted to hear every lyric of this enchanting song.

_"I need you here to be a light_

_Star in the sky brighten up my night_

_Sometimes I need the dark to see"_

It seemed as if Nico was lost in his own world. He didn't look up the entire time, appearing entranced by the movement of his fingers over the guitar. Will's heart beat louder than it ever has before.

_"I want to hold on to you_

_Just like these memories I can't undo_

_I want to hold on to you_

_Without you here that's kinda hard to do_

_I want to hold_

_I want to hold on to you"_

He strummed the last few notes and the room went quiet. Will's heart was threatening to come out of his chest so, with all his strength, he choked out, "Nico."

Nico's head snapped up. His eyes widened and Will could see that they were red. "Will."

His voice was shaky, like he couldn't believe Will was actually there. "Play it again?"

Nico looked confused. "What?"

"The song," he clarified. "Play it again for me. Please."

Nico nodded, appearing a little stunned yet relieved. He began strumming the first few chords before singing the opening line. Will could hear the emotion in his voice as he stumbled through a few words. He wanted to lean over and kiss him.

As soon as Nico was finished, Will stared at him in awe. "Did you write that song for me?"

Nico looked down at his guitar, trying to hide the blush that was currently staining his cheeks. "You're so vain, Solace. Not everything's about you."

"But in this case it is, right?" Will smiled.

Nico gazed up at him through his lashes. "Yeah. It is."

Silence filled the room as Nico took Will's hand in his. Will's throat was way too dry to continue talking, but he rasped out, "Can I have some water?"

"Oh! Yeah, of course." Nico rapidly took a water bottle from a nearby bag and helped him drink. Will drank greedily and wasn't even embarrassed when some of it trickled down his chin. Nico wiped it way with a tissue. "Better?"

"Better." He paused for a beat. "What happened?"

Nico's eyes darkened as he focused them on the floor. He looked like he was a million miles away. "I was hoping you could tell me that. When I got home, I saw your car and the food you bought on the floor. I knew then that something was wrong so I called you, but you didn't answer. I searched for you and found you unconscious behind the building and-"

His voice broke. He cleared it and took a breath before continuing, but it was shaky. "You were bleeding, Will. There was so much blood and bruises and your eye was swollen. You weren't moving and I thought- I thought that-"

He stopped. His face was buried in his hands. Will could hear his sniffles as he cried and it tore him apart that he couldn't get up and console him. All he could say was, "I'm fine, Nico. I'm okay. You found me."

"But what if I hadn't?" Nico looked at him, his eyes tinged red. "You could have died, Will. I should have been there to protect you from whoever it was that hurt you. You should always be safe and I failed you-"

"Stop," Will said sharply. "You didn't fail me. Don't ever say that again. You can't always be there to protect me, Nico. It's just not possible." His voice turned softer as he said, "I wouldn't have died, by the way. I would have woken up eventually and have called you." He winced as he shifted. "Or maybe the hospital first. Judging from the pain I have a few broken ribs."

"And a concussion," Nico cut in, taking his hand again. "At least, that's what your father said."

Will threaded his fingers through his. "My father? He's here?"

"Yeah. He's the one who treated you. He's having lunch with your mom right now in the cafeteria. Would you like me to go get them?"

"Yes, please."

Nico stood up to leave, but leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Will's forehead. Then to his lips. "I love you, Will," he whispered.

Will's heart was ready to come out of his chest and land on Nico's lap. That was the first time either of them had said it and they've only been dating a week. But he wasn't about to let the opportunity pass. "I love you too, Nico."

Nico let out a relieved sigh. "Good. Or else that might have been awkward."

"Just kiss me you big softy," Will teased.

He did. And it was just as exhilarating as all the kisses that had come before.

After a few minutes, Nico turned to leave. He was at the door before he halted in his steps. He looked at Will over his shoulder. "Can you tell me one thing?"

"Anything," Will responded automatically.

"Who hurt you?"

He hesitated, knowing that Nico might just go out in a rampage if he knew. But if the situation was reversed, he'd want to know too. "It was Luke and two of his friends."

Nico's entire body tensed. His shoulders were rigged and his jaw was clenched tight. He looked like a volcano ready to explode.

"Please, don't do anything rash," Will pleaded. "We can call the police or something and they can handle it."

Nico's eyes resembled black holes as he said in a low, calm voice, "He's going to pay." He then strode out of the room.

Will was worried at what Nico was going to do. He didn't want him going after Luke because Luke was nuts and there was a possibility that Nico could get hurt. It was just better if he went to the authorities.

But before he could think further about this, his father opened the door with his mother trailing in behind him.

"So, how come I'm only hearing about this boyfriend of yours now?"

Here we go...

* * *

Teaser For Next Chapter:

_He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."_

_"Ready for what?" Will asked, confused._

_"To see my father. I'm going to visit him, but I want you to come with me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if any of you are curious about the song Nico sang for Will, it's called Hold On To You by Griffin Peterson. You can find the full song on YouTube and it's on iTunes if you want to buy it. Remember to vote for the scene you would like to see through Nico's eyes! I'll post the winning scenes at the end of the story. :) 
> 
> Thanks for reading! Until next time!


	9. Act III: Scene III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."
> 
> "Ready for what?" Will asked, confused.
> 
> "To see my father. I'm going to visit him, but I want you to come with me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *peeks out from behind a door* I know you all probably hate me for taking this long to update, but here's chapter 9! I hope it was worth the wait. Oh and I want to thank all of you for being so patient. Most authors have a lot of trouble with their readers and them pressuring them to update, but that's not the case with you guys. You guys motivate me to continue writing and for that, I thank you all!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language, so much fluff you might die, an intense make-out session, and implied sexual content (yes, you read that right) were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"Fuck all the firsts, Sky. The only thing that matters_

_to me with you are the forevers."_

_\- Colleen Hoover, Hopeless_

* * *

 

**Act III: Scene III**

"Dad, I can explain," Will said hastily.

Dr. Solace raised an eyebrow. "Alright. Explain."

He hesitated. "Okay, maybe I can't, but-"

"Were you ever going to tell me?" his father asked, a look of hurt shining in his eyes.

Will's own eyes flitted downward, his fingers fumbling with the fabric of his hospital gown. "I was. Just in the very, very far future."

Dr. Solace sighed, then mumbled to his wife, "Could you give us a few minutes?" She nodded and left the room, glancing back at Will one last time before closing the door.

Will's father took the seat where Nico had sat in just moments earlier. His forearms rested on his knees as he focused on Will, his expression tense and serious as he contemplated how to go about this conversation.

"Son," he said at last, "It was never my intention to make you think that you couldn't come to me for anything. I may work a lot and not have an abundant amount of free time, but that doesn't mean that I won't listen to you if you have something you wish to tell me."

"I just- I didn't know how you would take it," Will admitted.

Dr. Solace took his hand. "It wouldn't have changed anything, Will. You're still the same person to me, no matter who you love."

Unshed tears sprung into his eyes, his voice was wobbly as he said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

"Don't be. I know how difficult it is to be truthful to yourself about your preferences let alone to other people." He paused for a moment before saying, "I'm bisexual."

Will's gaze snapped to his. "What?!"

"I figured it out when I was around your age. It was a different time then, so I wasn't really sure what to do or who to tell, or even if I _should_ tell anyone. Eventually I told your aunt and she was very accepting of me, but our parents had their own blinded views on it so I decided not to tell them anything. Years passed and I had relationships with both genders until I met your mother and decided to marry her. It didn't matter to her who I was attracted to and I am so grateful to her for it."

His grip on Will's hand tightened as he said with the utmost sincerity, "We only get one life, Will. So don't waste it worrying about what others will think. It might be cliché, but it's the truth. Look how you want to look, do what you want to do, and love who you want to love because it's your life. Live it the way you want to live it and in the end, it'll be a pretty good one."

His father's speech felt like a punch to the face and a breath of fresh air all at the same time. He had no idea his father was bisexual, but it helped him realize that there are people out there that understand and that you shouldn't be afraid to show the world who you are. Dr. Solace was right and it was his speech that gave Will the courage to confess the truth.

"Thanks for telling me all of that, Dad. I really needed to hear it."

He smiled. "I'm always here for you, Son. No matter what."

"In that case, I need to tell you something." His father raised an eyebrow in question. "I want to be a pediatrician."

Silence filled the room as Dr. Solace absorbed the newfound knowledge. "What about the fields we had discussed before? I could help you more with that subject matter than-"

"Yes, I know, but... I love kids, Dad. I want to help them get better and save them from sickness. I just- I really think this is what I am meant to do."

He exhaled a large breath. "Alright."

Will stared at him in shock. "Alright? You're okay with this?"

"Well, of course. You want to help cure children of diseases, how am I supposed to say no to that? I can't lie, I am slightly disappointed that you won't be following in my footsteps, but you need to carve your own path. I understand that."

Will leaned over and gave his father a hug that was long overdue. "Thanks, Dad. I won't let you down."

Dr. Solace patted his son on the back gently, aware of the many bruises he still obtained. "You never could, Will."

\~*~/

"So... your Dad's a little scary."

Will burst out in surprised laughter. "You must have my Dad confused with someone else. He couldn't hurt a fly."

Nico scowled as he continued to strum his guitar. "Yeah well, he gave me the 'boyfriend talk'."

"The 'boyfriend talk'?"

"You know, where the Dad basically threatens to kill the boyfriend in a slow, excruciating death if he breaks their kid's heart."

Will was so amused he could barely hold it in. "He did that?"

His cheeks tinted pink, like he was embarrassed with the whole thing. "Yeah. He practically cornered me. Your Mom stepped in though. She's really nice."

"She is," Will agreed. "They're both pretty great."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, Nico's guitar the only sound resonating through the room. Eventually Nico broke it by saying, "When are they releasing you?"

"In a few weeks, depending on how quickly I heal. Why do you ask?"

"Because." He took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" Will asked, confused.

"To see me father. I'm going to visit him, but I want you to come with me."

Will was stunned to say the least. When he made the suggestion for Nico to go see his father in prison to get some closure, he didn't expect it to be so soon. He wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth though. He'd support Nico all the way.

"You're sure about this?" he questioned.

"Positive," Nico assured him. "I want to see him. I need answers."

"Okay, then I'll come with you."

Relief shined in Nico's eyes. "Thank you." Then he smirked that same troublemaker smirk that he always did. "So you know what this means right?"

Will stared at him warily. "No...?"

He leaned over him and kissed his lips gently, making Will's heart explode in his chest. Nico pulled back slightly, his lips still grazing Will's as he whispered, "You get to ride on my bike."

Will's eyes widened as he shook his head adamantly. " _Fuck no_."

Nico's dark orbs narrowed as he cupped Will's cheeks. His voice was a deep, husky rumble as he replied, "Fuck, _yes_."

The kiss that came after that stole Will's breath away and made his veins feel as if they were on fire. If Nico kissed him like that every time he wanted things to go his way, Will would never win an argument.

But then again, if Nico di Angelo's lips were on his, he'd happily concede to any disagreement.

\~*~/

"I'm not so sure about this."

Will's mother looked more than unsure, but Nico was quick to put her at ease. "I've been driving a motorcycle for years, Mrs. Solace. Don't worry, Will's safe with me. I even got him his own helmet." He held up the navy blue helmet for good measure.

"But if something were to happen-"

"Nothing's going to happen, dear," piped in Mr. Solace. He then directed his focus onto Will, his eyes holding a strange twinkle. "Be back by ten and stay _safe_."

The euphemism was not lost on Will, making him blush so hard that his ears burned. " _Dad_ ," he hissed, "now is not the time!"

The grin that adorned his father's face was one of pure innocence. "I have no idea what you mean by that, son."

"Hey!" Nico called, already mounting the monster that was his motorcycle. The infamous smirk that both infuriated and excited Will was proudly present, along with a smoky look that was absolute sin. "You coming, Solace?"

_If you keep staring at me like that, I will be._

Will quickly shook those thoughts out of his head. _Thanks for implanting those images in my brain, Dad._

He knew he was blushing up a storm as he climbed onto the bike behind Nico. The loud rumble of the engine nearly made him jump out of his seat. His nerves spiked as he placed his hands on Nico's waist, the fabric of his leather jacket soft beneath his fingertips.

Nico smiled broadly at him over his shoulder. "You're gonna have to hold on tighter than that, Will. Don't want you falling off."

He didn't make eye contact as he wrapped his arms over Nico's hard stomach.

"Tighter."

His lips pressed into a thin line as he basically crushed himself to Nico's back. He could practically hear the smile in Nico's voice as he said, "Good."

And with that said, Nico drove off at what Will felt was the speed of light. Even with his jacket on, the wind found a way to sweep over his skin, causing goosebumps to travel all over his body.

The scenery zoomed by too quickly for Will's eye to catch any detail. He held onto Nico for dear life whenever they would make a sharp turn or pass by any cars they encountered on the road.

He was terrified and Nico drove like hell was nipping at their heels. But despite all of that, Will had never felt so exhilarated in his life. Riding with Nico gave him the same feeling of going down the first drop of a roller-coaster; the deadly combination of fear, weightlessness, and excitement.

Eventually, they arrived at their destination.

They both dismounted. Will's legs wobbled slightly from the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. Nico gripped his arms to keep him steady.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" he teased.

"No," Will agreed, taking in a shaky breath. "It was surprisingly a lot of fun."

"I'm glad you thought so. Maybe I'll teach you to drive it someday."

Will could feel his face paling. "Now that's where I draw the line."

Nico chuckled lightly then glanced at the building behind them. His mood visibly turned sour. The all too familiar scowl presented itself again, making Nico's face appear harsher than it actually was.

"Hey." Will placed his hand over Nico's cheek, grazing it gently with his thumb. "We can leave whenever you want. We don't have to stay."

He reached up and clutched onto Will's wrist, his expression softening. "I know." He hesitated before saying, "I'm glad you're here."

"I'll always be here for you. Whatever you need, Nico I-" He stopped, staring into the dark recesses of Nico's eyes. "I love you."

Nico kissed him so fast he nearly gave Will vertigo. He gasped into Nico's mouth, feeling as if he were melting underneath the feel of Nico's hands caressing his chest, his waist, and- _oh my god, his butt_! Nico di Angelo was actually groping his ass! In public!

_Jesus fucking Christ_ , this boy was going to kill him.

Nico groaned as he pulled away, huffing out a laugh at his flushed face. "I love you too, Will." Then he whispered quietly, almost under his breath, " _God_ , you drive me crazy."

The want in Nico's eyes was almost enough for Will to pull him back in and kiss him until their mouths fell off, but they unfortunately had things to do. "Let's go inside."

Nico's jaw twitched slightly as he gazed at the building again. He exhaled slowly. "Okay."

Their hands entwined together as they walked toward the entrance, Will's anxiety rising with every step.

\~*~/

"He's just behind that door."

The guard pointed toward which direction Nico and Will had to go. Nico reached for the metal knob of the door then hesitated. His eyes looked haunted. His hand trembled slightly.

Will patted his shoulder reassuringly. "Hey, what's wrong? Talk to me."

Nico shook himself out of his reverie, but his focus was still on the door knob. "I haven't seen my father in years," he muttered. "And, I don't know. I'm just... Scared."

"It's okay to be scared. What matters is how you handle that fear."

His lips twitched, like he was fighting back a smile. "You always know just what to say, don't you, Solace?"

"I try." Will kissed his cheek. "Do you want me to go in with you?"

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "No. I have to face him on my own."

Will couldn't deny that the idea of Nico confronting his father on his own made him sick to his stomach, but it was Nico's decision and he had to respect that. No matter how much he didn't like it. "Okay. I'll be out here if you need me."

He nodded, then opened the door to the small room. Will caught a quick glimpse of the infamous Hades di Angelo before Nico closed the door. He had the same dark hair as his son's, although it stopped at just above his shoulders. Their complexions were different, Nico's being a nice olive shade while Hades' skin was nearly an unhealthy shade of white. What completely threw Will off his balance though, was the fact that Hades' eyes were exactly the same as Nico's. The same intensity, the same unnerving focus, and the same shade of obsidian that Will loved so much.

"Son." That was the only word Will was able to hear before the door clicked shut.

\~*~/

The yelling started about ten minutes later.

" _You're a fucking liar_!" Nico's voice rang through the door as clear as day, causing Will to jump in his seat. "I don't believe you! If what you're saying is true then why didn't you save them?! Why didn't-"

"I _tried_!" boomed another voice, which could only belong to Hades.

There was silence after that, then the voices picked up again, but were too mumbled for Will to understand anything. A few moments passed before Nico opened the door. He was halfway out when Hades called to him, "Son!"

"I have nothing left to say to you," Nico spat out, not bothering to turn around.

"Don't get involved with them, Nico," Hades warned. "They won't let you leave as easily as they did last time."

Nico's eyes flashed dangerously, his fists clenched at his side. "You don't have a say in what I do."

He slammed the door.

Nico stomped toward Will, took his hand and hauled him up from his seat. "Let's go," he said through gritted teeth.

Will didn't argue. He let Nico drag him out of the prison and back toward the motorcycle. He held on for dear life as Nico zoomed through the streets, speed limits be damned.

They made it to Nico's apartment building in record time. Will was still dismounting the bike when Nico grabbed his hand again and stormed the entire way to his room. He shut the door to his bedroom with a loud bang, startling Will and making his heart feel as if it were lodged in his throat. He had never seen Nico so angry before. He was _fuming_. Will could practically see steam coming off of his frame.

Will's curiosity was too much for him to handle. He had to know why Nico looked like he was ready to punch through the wall. "Nico," he said cautiously, "What happened? Why-"

"I don't want to talk about it, Solace," Nico growled.

He frowned. "Okay... Then tell me what I can do for you. How can I help?"

Nico finally looked at him then. His chest rose and fell with the sharp breaths he took. "You want to help me?"

His voice was so low and gravelly that all Will could do was nod.

He came to him faster than Will could blink. One hand gripped his waist while the other rested against his cheek. Nico's forehead leaned against Will's as he whispered pleadingly, "Help me forget, Will. The memories are too much... _Please_."

"I-I, um-"

"Kiss me."

Will could never say no to that. He kissed Nico hard and Nico retaliated with just as much intensity.

The kiss was ferocious. Tongues fought and teeth clashed as they clawed desperately at each other. Nico bit down on his lower lip, causing an unexpected groan to rise from his throat. Making out with Nico so wantonly felt like a nuclear explosion and Will was on fire. Every inch of skin that Nico touched made him feel as if he had been burned. His lips scorched down from Will's mouth to his jaw, to his neck, sucking on his pulse point so firmly that he was bound to leave a bruise. Will's back arched slightly at the sensation-

Wait. When had they landed on the bed? When had Nico's shirt come off? Will's mind was so clouded with lust that the past few minutes seemed like a blur, but the weight of Nico's hand moving underneath his button-down made him feel as if he had just been doused with freezing cold water.

Nico noticed his stiffness instantly. "What's wrong?" he asked, panting. "Too fast?"

Will was quick to reassure him. "No! No, I'm just... I don't know. A little nervous, I guess."

He paused, resting his forearms beside Will's head, looming over him. "Will, we don't have to do anything. I wasn't planning on it really. I just love kissing you. We don't need to go any further than this." He leaned down and gave him a chaste kiss. "We go at whatever pace you're comfortable with."

Will was choking up. He couldn't believe what an amazing person Nico was. Every time he thought he knew everything about Nico di Angelo, he always pulled something like this out of nowhere and surprised the hell out of him.

And as it turns out, he could surprise the guy right back. Nico's eyes were as wide as saucers when he said, "What if... What if I want to keep going?"

The obsidian orbs were the darkest Will had ever seen them as they roamed all over Will's face and down his body. The pupils were so dilated, Will could hardly see the whites in his eyes. He bent down, his breath hot against his ear as he whispered, "Then I would make it so good for you, Will. _So good_."

Will nearly combusted right then. " _Fuck_ ," he breathed.

Nico's answering chuckle made him melt into the sheets. "If that's what you want."

Words bubbled up his throat. Words that he never in his lifetime imagined he would actually say, but the confessions stumbled out of him just the same. "I just... I just really want to touch you and- God, I don't even know. Like, lick your chest? Because holy shit, Nico. Your chest is just- wow. And oh my god, please shut me up because I literally cannot stop talking-"

Nico kissed him, long and deep, leaving him absolutely speechless (which was definitely a good thing). He glanced up at him to find him grinning madly, his eyes gleaming with mirth. "Will, you can touch and lick and do whatever you want, _wherever_ you want to my body. You have free reign." His hand then rested against Will's hip, rubbing circles against the exposed skin there. "Would you let me do the same? Will you let me make you feel good?"

An overwhelming wave of love washed over him at the slightly anxious tone that developed in Nico's voice. Will raised a shaky hand and gently brushed his fingertips down Nico's chest, making him shiver. He smiled at the sight.

"Y-Yes," he stammered. "I, um. I would like that."

"Thank god," Nico muttered. He then began to pull up the fabric of Will's button-down. "Is this okay?"

"Yeah, totally."

He pulled the shirt off then ran his own hands over Will's chest. His lips followed the trail his hands had made not long after. He nipped and sucked and kissed all over Will's chest, driving him crazy in the process. Will's hands clenched the sheets beneath him as he attempted to keep his control in order. When Nico's hands moved toward the zipper of his pants, he snapped.

With a strength he had no knowledge of having, Will flipped them over. The shocked look on Nico's face as he lay beneath him was enough to electrify him with confidence. "My turn."

The grin that spread across his cheeks was brighter than a thousand suns. He tucked his hands behind his head. "By all means, be my guest."

Will was still a bit timid, especially with Nico gazing at him so intently, but he did his best to push down his embarrassment and show Nico how much he wanted him. How much he loved him. How much he _craved_ to touch him, kiss him, and just be by his side. He adored this boy with everything he had and all he wanted to do what make Nico understand the extent of his devotion to him. He wanted- no, needed to have him see that he wasn't alone in this world. That someone loved him for who he was and that there was nothing in the universe that could change his feelings for him.

So Will did just that.

He kissed him slowly. Gently sucking and nipping and grazing his lips over every millimeter of skin he could reach. He could hear Nico's throaty moans when he'd focus on certain areas, spurring him on. Every _God, yes Will_ and _Fuck, right there_ made Will's entire body tingle. The grin was gone, but in its place was a look of pure desire and want. Nico's fingers slid into his hair, tugging at it whenever he'd find a sensitive spot. And there were a pleasantly abundant amount of those.

When Will finally arrived at the dip of the V on his torso, Nico's hips flew off the bed.

"Stop!" he gasped. His breaths were short and quick, as if he had just ran a marathon. "If you go any lower this'll be over before it even started."

Will blushed a deep crimson, which was ridiculous considering how long he spent ravashing Nico's upper body. "Oh. Sorry."

Nico huffed out a laugh, shaking his head incredulously. "Don't be." He then flipped them back over, causing the air in Will's lungs to whoosh out of him. "The affect you have on me is just too much to handle." Will stayed silent, prompting Nico to raise an eyebrow. "You don't believe me?"

Will's cheeks were burning from how hot they were. "It's just... I never thought that I could have that sort of affect on anyone, let alone you. I could only hope."

"Well believe it, Solace. There's no one on this earth I want more than you." He kissed him once, twice. "I love you. More than anything. I'm yours, Will."

Nico's words were so sincere and full of love that Will could have died happily right then and there. "And I'm yours."

Nico planted another kiss on his lips before sliding down his body and taking off the rest of his clothes as well as his own.

From the way that Nico's stare pierced through him as he saw him at his most vulnerable, to the way he grazed and brushed and caressed every part of him, Will knew that Nico's words from before were lies. He wouldn't make it good. He would make it more than that. He would make it feels as if Will's bones had melted. He would make it feel as if fireworks were bursting behind his eyelids. He would make it feel as if they were one being; two halves finally meeting together in unity.

He would make it _perfect_.

\~*~/

_It_

_was_

_better_

_than_

_perfect._

\~*~/

He leaned up and licked his dimple.

Nico spluttered, then laughed disbelievingly, his whole body shaking. "What the hell did you do that for?"

He grinned widely. "I've just wanted to do that for a long time."

"Oh yeah? How long?"

"Since I first saw you smile."

Nico hummed and smiled that same lopsided smile from that day in the locker room. God, that seemed like so long ago. "Really?"

"Yeah, really."

"Well, in that case..." He pushed Will to lay on his stomach and licked a line up his spine.

A shiver coursed through him. "Holy shit," he said hoarsely.

"I've been wanting to do that ever since you took your shirt off for the first time in the change room. You're back is so hot. Plus you've got dimples here that drive me fucking nuts." Nico then leaned down and kissed the small of his back.

Will sucked in a sharp breath. "Nico!"

He could feel his smirk. "Okay, okay. I'll take it easy on you... For now."

Nico splayed himself beside him again, letting Will retain his spot snuggled up against his chest. Will swirled his fingers against the muscles of his abdomen, watching the rise and fall of his chest in fascination. In that moment, Will felt at bliss and he wouldn't trade places with anyone no matter what they offered.

But there was still something gnawing at the back of his mind. "Hey, um. Can I ask you something?"

Nico's eyes stayed closed, a gentle smile on his face as he ran a hand up and down Will's arm. He had never witnessed him look so peaceful. "Anything."

"Was I, uh... W-Was I okay? I mean, was it good for you? Did I do anything wrong or-"

"Will." He bent down a bit and kissed his forehead. "It was amazing. You were amazing. This was definitely the second best moment of my life."

"Second?" Will's brows scrunched. "What was the first?"

"When I beat my high score on _Flappy Bird_. That was a glorious day."

He slapped his chest, laughing loudly. "You suck."

"Oh I can definitely suck. Depends on what I'm sucking though." Then he winked.

He. Fucking. _Winked_!

Will buried his face into the crook of his neck, desperately trying to hide the redness that spread from his neck, to his ears, to his face. "You're mouth needs to be washed with soap. Like immediately."

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Will," he replied, doing his best to sound like the epitome of an angel. "I was referring to lollipops. You of all people should know how much I love lollipops."

"You're a terrible liar and I hate you."

"No you don't." He said it with so much certainty that Will just had to meet his eyes. He grinned down at him and pulled at his lip with his thumb and forefinger. "Lip biter."

"Alright so maybe I don't. Whatever. Sue me."

"I'd much rather kiss you."

"You can do that too."

So he did. Will sighed into his mouth. He would never get tired of this.

"I, um. I have another question for you," Will breathed after they separated.

"Shoot."

"I was just wondering, how many times have you done this before? You know, like, _this_."

"You're asking how many times I've been with someone?"

He nodded slowly.

Nico exhaled while putting an arm under his head. "Well, my first time was with this girl. I don't really remember much because it was during a hard time in my life and all I liked to do was drink until I couldn't even recall my own name. But I do remember that I figured out that girls didn't do anything for me. So the next time it happened, I slept with a guy who again, I didn't know his name, and I enjoyed it. And then..." He trailed off.

"Then what?" Will prompted.

He looked uncomfortable, like this next part was difficult for him to confess. "Then I, uh, kissed Percy."

Will choked on air, his eyes bulging out of his head. " _Percy_?! As in Percy Jackson?! The guy who asked us the other day, and I quote: 'If a bulldog and a shih tzu mated, would it be called a bullshit?'"

"Yes! Him!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "It was a long time ago, okay. We were drinking and he was hurting and I wanted to make him feel good and see him smile so I kissed him. He kissed me back and I thought- I don't know. I guess I thought we would get together or something, but he stopped before we got too far. He told me he didn't see me in that way and that he didn't want to ruin our friendship. He was really nice about it, in his own Percy way... But that didn't make it hurt any less."

Will glanced down. "You loved him."

He was quiet for a beat. "Maybe. I was probably on my way there, but it was better that he stopped it from happening. I wasn't what he need at the time. Annabeth was."

"It wasn't weird with you guys afterwards?"

"Surprisingly, no. I mean, there were a few times where we had awkward silences, but overall it was just like it was before. It was better actually because we got really close. He always looked out for me and I always looked out for him. Seeing him with Annabeth still hurt some, but he was happy and that's all I really wanted. And watching them together made me wonder if I would ever find a love like that. If I could find someone to love me so unconditionally." He paused, his eyes holding a look of awe as he gazed at Will. "I'm glad I did."

Will was speechless. What was he supposed to say to that? "Wow... Thank you. I, um. I feel the same way."

Nico ran his fingers through Will's hair, smiling softly. "Dork."

"Well if I'm a dork then you're-" He cut himself short, his breath stalling in his throat as he looked at the clock on Nico's nightstand. "Shit. I have to go."

Nico glanced at the time for a second before shooting to his feet. "Fuck! We're so late! Your dad's gonna kill me." He tossed Will his shirt before giving a devious smirk. "It was worth it though right?"

Will matched his expression, his heart swelling to an overwhelming capacity for this boy. "Definitely."

\~*~/

Will was sure he was seeing things.

He had to be. What other reason could there be? There was no way that this man was following him right? Maybe he's somebody's dad, coming to pick them up from school in his black trenchcoat, sunglasses and fedora.

As much as he tried to convince himself of that, Will couldn't shake the feeling that this guy was watching him. It wasn't until two weeks ago, about five days after Nico and him- you know, that he noticed the stranger. He'd stand there every day as soon as school ended and just waited at the far end of the parking lot for who knows what.

It creeped him out. After everything that happened with Luke, Will was still on edge. Luckily, Luke had kept his distance. Will hadn't even seen him since the day outside of Nico's apartment. He wasn't stupid. He knew that Nico must have done something to scare him away, but he just hoped it wasn't anything drastic.

"Hey, Solace," Nico greeted, giving him a quick kiss on the forehead. "Ready to go?"

"Don't look now, but I think there might be a stalker, and/or murderer, and/or child molester in the parking lot."

Nico raised an amused eyebrow. "A what now?"

"See that guy in the trenchcoat?" Will mumbled, using his eyes to indicate on which direction the man was in.

Nico began to turn his head to look, but Will quickly grabbed his face in his hands, squahing his cheeks together with more force than he intended. "I told you not to look!"

"I think you need to go to the psych ward," Nico said through his smushed lips.

"I'm not crazy," Will stated solemnly before releasing him. "He's been here every day for around two weeks. I thought that maybe he was picking up somebody at first, but I never see him with anyone. It's weird, Nico."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No! What if he kidnaps you?!"

"Kidnap me? In public?"

He let out a frustrated noise. "You know what I mean! I don't want you getting into trouble."

"Okay, look, if it worries you that much then I won't do it. How about I go inside and tell the office about him. Make them aware of the situation. Would that make you feel better?"

Will's nerves began to ease. "Yes. Thank you."

He gave him a chaste kiss. Will yearned for more, but now probably wasn't the best time. "No problem. Part of my job as your boyfriend is to protect you. No harm is ever going to come to you again. I promise."

That promise felt binding. Will could see how serious Nico was about it. He wouldn't let anything happen to Will so long as he was there. It made him slightly anxious to even wonder at what lengths Nico was willing to go to keep that promise.

Will watched the man from the corner of his eye as Nico entered the school. It wasn't even a minute later that the man received a call from his cell phone. He noticed that the man appeared nervous all of a sudden. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and shifted from foot to foot, like a child being scolded. As soon as the call was finished he left, his steps short and quick.

Not long after the man had disappeared from sight, Nico came back, a smile adorning his face. There was something off about it though. It was tense and not as carefree as the ones he usually wore around Will.

"Everything's set. If he comes by again school security will escort him off the property."

"That's great," Will replied blandly.

"Hey. You okay? You're looking a little pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

"Let's go back to my place then. I bought your favourite ice cream."

Will nodded and followed Nico to his motorcycle, the uneasy feeling still sitting in the pit of his stomach.

Something wasn't right and Will was going to find out what.

* * *

 

Teaser For Next Chapter:

_"I can't believe you did this."_

_"What was I supposed to do?!" he yelled, startling Will from the sudden outburst. "Just sit back and wait for someone to come along and kill you like my mother?! Like my sister?!"_

_Will flinched back, the words nearly slicing through his heart. "I know you've been through a lot. Too much actually. But this wasn't the answer."_

_"Then what is?" he asked, his voice cold and unrecognizable. "Because so help me God, if I lose you too..."_

_"You won't," Will said firmly. "I promise. You won't ever lose me."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to all the readers who have stood by me and this story! I hope you keep on reading despite the fact that I'm terrible at updating! I love you all and thanks for all the support!
> 
> Until next time!


	10. Act IV: Scene I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "I can't believe you did this."
> 
> "What was I supposed to do?!" he yelled, startling Will from the sudden outburst. "Just sit back and wait for someone to come along and kill you like my mother?! Like my sister?!"
> 
> Will flinched back, the words nearly slicing through his heart. "I know you've been through a lot. Too much actually. But this wasn't the answer."
> 
> "Then what is?" he asked, his voice cold and unrecognizable. "Because so help me God, if I lose you too..."
> 
> "You won't," Will said firmly. "I promise. You won't ever lose me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my wonderful readers! I know it has been a long time since I've updated anything on my account, but I'm glad to have finally finished the next chapter of this story. Again I am sorry it has taken me so long, but if you read my author's note then you would understand why. Just a quick update on that, I am feeling a lot better than before. I have gotten the help I needed and am in a much better place than the previous time I talked to you guys. I am sad to say that I can't go back to updating like I used to years ago due to the fact that I decided to go back to university and start planning my life, but I am still writing when I can. Thank you all for your love and support these past few years! I absolutely adore every single one of you and I thank you for being so patient with me. Now without further ado, here is the next chapter you have all been waiting for!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson. All rights to Rick.
> 
> Warning: Foul language and implied sexual content were used in the making of this chapter. Reader discretion is advised.

_"If someone were to harm my family or a friend or somebody I love,_

_I would eat them._

_I might end up in jail for 500 years, but I would eat them."_

_\- Johnny Depp_

**Hold On To You**

**Act IV: Scene I**

"So, you did the deed, didn't you?"

Will choked on the piece of Hawaiian pizza he had in his mouth. "What?"

Piper raised her brows suggestively. "You know... The horizontal hula? Gland-to-gland combat?" Will's face flushed so deeply he swore there was steam coming off his skin. He thought she was done until she whispered, "Did he Slytherin to your Hufflepuff?"

" _Piper_!" He yelled, not caring that his voice resonated throughout the restaurant. "Could you stop?!"

"I thought the last one was pretty clever actually," Annabeth chimed in, taking a sip from her ice tea.

Piper beamed with pride. "Thank you. At least someone's appreciative of my euphemisms."

"They totally did it, by the way. I can tell just from how red he's getting."

Piper turned to her friend in earnest. "Do you think Nico was a top or bottom?"

"Definitely top since it was Will's first time, but I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to be a bottom every now and then. Will could probably top if he had experience."

"Uh, hello? I'm right here!" Will spluttered.

Piper nodded in agreement, ignoring his presence completely. "True, I can see that. If I were lesbian I'd want to top though."

Annabeth laughed. "No way. You have bottom written all over you. I'd be a top."

"Bitch please," she scoffed. "If I was your top, I'd rock your world and you know it."

"I don't think-"

"HEY!" Both girls whipped their heads towards him. "As much as I'd love to hear you guys flirt fight about who would be a better top, can we just not talk about this right now?"

Piper winced. "Oh... Was it bad?"

"No!" he spluttered. "That's not it! It was amazing. Perfect, actually. I just-"

"Ah, so the rumors are true. He _is_ good in bed." She wiggled her eyebrows.

Annabeth stuffed a piece of bread in Piper's face. "Here. Eat this and leave the poor boy alone. You've tortured him enough."

"I was just curious," she said, chewing glumly at the loaf.

"And anyways, I didn't want to bring this up until I was sure, but there's a guy behind Will who's been hardcore staring for the past ten minutes."

Will straightened. As stealthily as he could, he peeked over his shoulder and sure enough, there was a man a few booths away practically glaring in his direction.

Chills ran up Will's spine. Could this be the same man that kept lurking around the school parking lot? He peeked over his shoulder. The fedora hat was the same, but he wore a leather jacket this time instead of a trenchcoat and this man sported a beard that reminded Will of a stereotypical lumberjack.

Piper visibly shivered. "Man, that guy's giving me the creeps. Do you know him Will?"

"No, I have no idea who he is."

"Well it sure looks like he knows you," Annabeth commented. "We'll stay with you until he leaves, just to be on the safe side."

"Thanks guys," Will said appreciatively. The relief in his voice was clear, making both girls smile.

They could be strange at times, but he adored his friends and how protective they were. He just hoped that these random creepy occurrences would stop after tonight because if not, Will wasn't sure what he'd do.

\~*~/

"Are you sure we can't give you a ride?"

Will shook his head. "Yeah, don't worry. Nico sent me a text that said he'd be here in a few minutes. You guys go."

The girls sighed. "Alright," Annabeth said. "We'll see you on Monday."

He waved as the two drove off in Piper's Jeep. He then spotted a bench nearby and decided to wait for Nico there.

As Will sat, his mind wandered back to the dinner conversation. Although his first time with Nico was truly incredible, he couldn't help but wonder about the events beforehand. What had Nico's father said to him at the jail that made him so upset? Will wanted to bring up the topic again, but was afraid that Nico wouldn't want to open up, especially with the way he stormed out of the prison.

Will was so distracted with his own thoughts that he didn't notice someone had sat beside him on the bench until they coughed. He turned his head slightly to find that it was the same man from the restaurant.

Fear rose in his chest. He was positive that the man had left over an hour ago. Had he been waiting outside for Will this whole time?! He checked his watch, praying that Nico would arrive in the next ten seconds.

"It's a nice night isn't it?"

Will nearly jumped out of his seat from the sound of the man's voice. It was deep and strong with a heavy Italian accent. His eyes didn't move from the night sky as he spoke, which surprisingly made Will more anxious.

"Uh yeah. Real nice."

"It's too bad the city lights block the brightness of the stars. Where I come from, you can see every constellation in the sky."

Will wasn't one for small talk with strangers, especially ones that creep him out, but he decided to play along until Nico arrived. "Oh really? Where are you from?"

"My family had a farm in Tuscany, so I worked there until I was of age. I then moved into the city and started my own business, but after a while decided to move to America since there were better opportunities here."

Will nodded. He didn't know why this guy was telling him his life story, but it was better than having him stalk Will home.

"I didn't realize how large of an Italian comminuty there was until I got here. I was impressed to say the least. My oldest friend, Hades di Angelo, was as well."

Will never knew a heart could stop beating the way his did in that moment. His entire body turned to ice at the sound of the name. This man knew Nico's father?! How did he know him?!

_My dad's business was illegal._

Will's stomach dropped.

_Drugs, trafficking, hit men... All that fun stuff. He was basically the leader of an Italian mafia._

Oh god.

"I haven't seen him in years," the man continued. "But I heard that he has a son that lives downtown. Nico, I believe." Will could barely breathe as the man finally turned to face him. His dark menacing eyes boring into Will's. "You wouldn't happen to know him would you?"

Will froze in place. He was absolutely petrified. This man -who was possibly a member of a mafia- was looking for Nico? This had danger written in bright bold letters all over it.

He knew one thing for certain though. He had to protect Nico at all costs. He wasn't sure what this man wanted with Nico, but it could not be anything good. So the best plan he could come up with at the moment was to lie.

But as soon as Will opened his mouth, another man appeared from the shadows, his gruff voice resonating through the empty street as he called out, "Antonio!"

The man who sat beside him -Antonio- looked over his shoulder in annoyance. "Well if it isn't the welcoming committee."

The man strode up, sporting the same trench coat Will saw on the guy from the school parking lot. His face was somewhat hidden by the shadows that his hat casted, but the grim line of his mouth was palpable. "You know it isn't in your best interest to be in this area."

"And you should know that it isn't in _your_ best interest to threaten me," Antonio countered.

The man held his ground. "The Prince will not like you trespassing. Leave now."

Antonio looked around for a moment, his body turning stiff. "Fine, I'll go. For now." Without sparing a glance in Will's direction, Antonio got up from the bench and began to walk away, but stopped short when he reached trenchcoat man. "Il principe mi deve dei soldi. Mi farà male le persone che si preoccupa se non lo ricevo. Non fare errore su questo."*

And with that said, Antonio disappeared into the night.

\~*~/

"Are you okay?"

Will's mind whipped back into focus. "What?"

"You seem distracted," Nico clarified. "You haven't talked much since I picked you up an hour ago."

That was because his thoughts were still reeling from the encounter with Antonio. He knew Nico's father and by extension, knew about Nico. He clearly wanted to find him, but Will knew deep down that it wasn't for something pleasant.

"I'm fine," Will said as reassuringly as he could. "Just thinking about college and stuff. Don't worry."

Nico shrugged. "Alright. If you say so." He then went back to strumming his guitar.

Will watched him for a moment and recalled how the man in the trenchcoat had mentioned something about a Prince. Nico might act like anything other than royalty, but he sure did look like one. From the broadness of his shoulders to the sharpness of his jaw. From the way the loose strands of his hair would fall into his eyes, to the way he would stare at Will with a gentleness that was specifically saved for him.

Nico glanced up and caught him staring. "What?"

Will smiled slightly. "Nothing. Just... I love you."

A light pink hue peeked out onto his cheeks. It still amazed Will that he could make him blush like that. "I love you too, Will."

He couldn't hold back anymore. With the events that happened earlier and the rising fear that people could be after Nico and threatening his safety, Will needed reassurance. He needed to know that Nico was good and safe. He needed to feel it.

He took the guitar from Nico's hands.

"What're you-" Will's lips were over Nico's before he could finish his sentence.

Nico gasped, surprised that Will was kissing him out of blue so fiercely, but he recovered his shock quickly.

He pushed Will back onto the sofa and began running his fingers over any piece of exposed skin he could find. Will did the same. He eventually got tired with the barrier Nico's shirt was providing and tugged on it. Nico got the hint and took his shirt off in a swift movement. In less than a millisecond, Will was there. Putting his mouth over every inch of warm skin that he could see.

Nico let out a gravelly moan. "God, Will... I don't know what's gotten into you, but don't stop."

He didn't plan to. He gently pushed Nico off of him, took his hand and guided him back to the bedroom.

They each stripped one another's clothing piece by piece, exchanging fervent kisses inbetween. Pleased sighs and lengthy moans filled the air as their hands and mouths explored each other's bodies.

"Nico," Will whispered.

"Mm?" he questioned. His mouth currently busy sucking on Will's neck.

Will did his best to concentrate. "Do you, uh, know Italian?"

Nico's lips curved into a smile against his skin. "Why do you want to know?"

"I was just curious. If you do, I'd like too hear you speak it."

Nico rose up to his forearms and stared down at Will, a look of pure seriousness resting on his face. "Mi piace grandi botti e non posso mentire."

Will took in a sharp breath. He had no idea what he had said, but it was the sexiest thing he'd ever heard. "That's beautiful. What does it mean?"

He grinned boyishly. "I like big butts and I cannot lie."

Will smacked him. "What the hell?! And here's me thinking you were actually being romantic!"

He laughed. "I'm sorry. How about I make it up to you?"

He began leaving a trail of feather light kisses from Will's jaw, to his neck, to his chest, to his torso, and...

Yeah. Nico's apologies were the best apologies.

\~*~/

"You sure I can't convince you?"

"Absolutely."

"But it doesn't hurt a lot! I swear it's just like a pinch."

"No."

"Come on. You know you want it."

"I wouldn't even know where to put it."

Nico reached over and touched the skin just above Will's bottom. "What about here? You can get something like: Property of Nico di Angelo. Approach at your own risk."

"No way!"

"And why not?"

"Because 1. that's a mouthful and 2. I'm not getting a tramp stamp."

Nico laughed loudly. "Yeah I guess you're right. Then what about here?" He gently grazed over the space above Will's heart.

"Well, that's not a bad place, but I still wouldn't know what to get. Plus... I'm kinda afraid of the needle."

His hand paused as he glanced at Will curiously. "You -a future doctor- are afraid of _needles_?"

Will hid behind his hands in shame. "Don't judge me! I just don't like them poking into _my_ skin. I can do it for other people."

"You're a strange specimen Will Solace."

"Yes, I know." He sighed. "What about you? Are you thinking of getting another tattoo."

Nico leaned back and tucked his hands behind his head. "Yeah. I have an idea of what I'll get next."

"What?"

He smirked. "Not telling."

Will rolled his eyes. "Fine. If you're gonna be all secretive and childish about it-"

"It's not that," he chuckled. "I just want to surprise you is all."

"Okay, okay," Will conceded.

They laid together in comfortable silence. Will was soothed by the sound of Nico's deep breathing, indicating that he was close to falling asleep. He wasn't sure if now was a good time to bring up his encounter with Antonio and Trench Coat Man, but he figured he'd have to do it sooner or later. And if Antonio was looking for Nico and was an old friend of Hades as he had said, then sooner was probably better.

"Hey, Nico?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you um, happen to know anyone named Antonio?"

The silence in the room was no longer comfortable. The air filled with tension as Nico slowly rose to a sitting position. His eyes were hard and his teeth were clenched as he gritted out, "How do you know that name?"

Will's eyes widened in alarm at his reaction. "Before you picked me up today, he approached me. H-He started talking about stars and Italy and then before I know it, he started asking me if I knew about you."

"What did you say?"

"I didn't say anything. This other guy came and told him he was trespassing. He then said some words in Italian and left."

Nico stood up and began pacing, cell phone in hand. He furiously dialed a number and waited, eyes as hard as stone.

Once the person on the other line picked up, he yelled, "IDIOTA!"

Will jumped in his skin. He had never heard Nico shout so loudly before, and frankly it was terrifying.

"Come potresti lasciare Will solo?! Sei stupido?!"**

He didn't know why Nico was talking about him, but it obviously was about something urgent.

After hearing what the people on the other line had to say, Nico blew up. "I don't care that you two had to go to the washroom! He could have _DIED_!"

He was perfectly still after he heard that. What did Nico get himself into?

Nico glanced at Will, clear pain shined across his face. "Spare me your apologies. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

He hung up then and slumped into a nearby chair in the corner of the room. He covered his face with his hands and it appeared that he was attempting to control his breathing.

"Nico?" Will asked tentatively. "What's going on? What're you not telling me?"

He let out a resound sigh. "You're in danger Will... And it's all my fault."

"What are you talking about? Who was that on the phone?"

He shook his head in despair, his entire body trembling in what could only be described as fear.

Will rose from the bed and kneeled in front of him. He took Nico's hands in his and tried his best to get Nico to look him in the eye, but to no avail.

"Nico. Tell me what's happening."

After a long silence, Nico let out a shuddered breath. "I rejoined."

Those two words stained Will's very being. Nico didn't need to clarify what he was rejoining in order for Will to understand the gravity of the situation. "Why? Why would you go back?"

"It was my only option. I wanted to protect you, but I didn't have the finances to do it. So I settled for manpower instead. I reclaimed my title and ordered the people below me to keep an eye on you when I couldn't."

To say he was shocked was an understatement. Nico went back to the mafia for him? To protect him? He couldn't grasp onto the reason why he would go to such great lengths to keep him safe. All Will could say at that moment was, "I can't believe you did this."

"What was I supposed to do?!" he yelled, startling Will from the sudden outburst. "Just sit back and wait for someone to come along and kill you like my mother?! Like my sister?!"

Will flinched back, the words nearly slicing through his heart. "I know you've been through a lot. Too much actually. But this wasn't the answer."

"Then what is?" he asked, his voice cold and unrecognizable. "Because so help me God, if I lose you too..."

"You won't," Will said firmly. "I promise. You won't ever lose me."

Nico finally raised his head, tears shining in his eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

He faltered. He wasn't sure. How can anyone be sure of that? It wasn't like he could control his fate. Something could happen at any moment and he'd have no way to stop it. But that was the cruelty of life. You never knew what was going to happen in the future. You could only hope for the best.

"I can't," he finally answered. "But you can't live your life in fear of what _could_ happen, Nico. It's not a healthy way to live."

"Don't you get it, Will? I don't care what happens to me as long as you're okay. When Luke and his thugs got to you and I saw you laying in that hospital bed... It broke me." His voice bgan to quiver. "It killed me inside to know that you were in danger and I couldn't help you. I was too late to do anything about it and I promised myself to never let that happen again."

Nico grabbed Will by the shoulders and pulled him in close, squeezing him so hard that it took the air out of Will's lungs.

"So if I have to take my father's place as a mafia leader, then I'll do it. I'll do anything as long as it means you're safe."

Will was speechless. What could he even say to that? It was sweet that Nico cared so much for him, but Will didn't want Nico to put himself in harm's way for his sake. He knew that whatever he said would fall on deaf ears so if he was going to convince Nico to quit the mafia and live a bormal life then he needed more information. He needed to go straight to the source of all of Nico's troubles.

He needed to have a talk with Hades di Angelo.

* * *

 

Teaser for the Next Chapter:

_"He's gonna kill him."  
_

_Will stopped in his tracks. He turned around so quickly he was surprised he didn't get whiplash. "What?"_

_"Promise me. Promise me you'll take Nico as far away as possible. He's in too deep. If Antonio catches him, he's done for."_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> *The prince owes me money. I will hurt the people he cares about if I don't receive it. Make no mistake about that.
> 
> **How could you leave Will alone? Are you stupid?


End file.
